Hybrid Software Launches Helix OEM Software Business

“Becoming Hybrid Software Helix marks the next chapter in our journey,” said Managing Director Justin Bailey. “The printing industry is transforming with AI, Industry 4.0, and smart factories. We’ve evolved alongside it, innovating so our OEM customers can use our technology components to build customized intelligent print systems this new era demands.”

The Helix name was chosen as a metaphor for the role the company’s technology plays inside OEM print systems. Just as DNA encodes the intelligence of life, Hybrid Software Helix provides the embedded intelligence that powers industrial print systems.

Recognized for its innovation, earlier this year the company received the most prestigious business honor in the UK, the King’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation for its SmartDFE™ digital front end platform. It is the second time the company has received the award, having been recognized in 2020 with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation for its ScreenPro™ screening software.

Next year the company will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Its roots go back to Cambridge and a research project that resulted in the Harlequin RIP^®, a world-leading technology that is still widely used in the printing industry today. The majority of its R&D team is still based near this iconic university city.

Since joining Hybrid Software Group in 2021, the company has benefited from being part of the only organization in the industry that owns 100% of its intellectual property and serves both OEMs and end users with software products that create high-quality printed graphics at very high speeds. This independence from press manufacturers allows Hybrid Software Helix to innovate freely and tailor its technologies to each OEM’s unique roadmap.

Hybrid Software’s solutions span the entire workflow – from file pre-flighting and color management to delivering print data directly to inkjet printheads at blistering speeds. Its other business units provide software for labels & packaging, color management, integration and project management, as well as artwork management for brands and FMCG companies. Other companies in the Hybrid Software Group include the industrial printhead drive solutions specialists Meteor Inkjet and offset printing workflow developer Xitron.

“We may have a new name, but our values remain the same,” added Bailey. “Hybrid Software Helix continues to be defined by trust, collaboration, and a relentless focus on innovation. The Helix identity connects our Cambridge roots with our vision for the future — intelligent, innovative, and performant.”