Logitech was founded in Apples, Vaud, Switzerland, in 1981 by Daniel "Bobo" Borel, Pierluigi Zappacosta, and Giacomo Marini. Borel and Zappacosta had met in California while studying electrical engineering at Stanford University in the late 1970s. The founders initially concentrated on word-processing software for a large Swiss company, but that project was cancelled, leading them to pivot to the computer mouse as a key component of graphical user interfaces.
The company's first mouse, the P4 model, was produced in 1982 in Switzerland, based on an opto-mechanical design by Jean-Daniel Nicoud of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. In 1984 Logitech secured a contract to supply Hewlett-Packard with computer mice as an original equipment manufacturer, manufacturing those branded HP mice at a new factory in Fremont, California. That same year Logitech created the first wireless mouse, using infrared light to connect to the Metaphor Computer Systems workstation; because infrared required line-of-sight, the wireless mouse did not achieve widespread adoption until 1991, when a radio-frequency version eliminated that constraint.
In 1985 Swiss inventor René Sommer developed microprocessor circuitry for a wired mouse, improving its responsiveness to human movement; Logitech incorporated Sommer-style CMOS microprocessor technology into its first retail product, the three-button serial C7, priced at $99. The S9, released in 1989, introduced ergonomic shaping to fit the human hand and carried the Logitech logo for the first time.
Logitech incorporated as Logitech International SA and held an initial public offering on the Zürich stock exchange in 1988. Manufacturing was reorganised in 1994, with the Fremont facility closed and a major new plant opened in Suzhou, China. The company acquired the Connectix webcam division in 1998 for $25 million, releasing QuickCam — the first webcam with an integrated microphone — and by 2000 had become the global leader in webcam sales. In December 2008 Logitech announced it had produced its one-billionth computer mouse since 1985.
A $7.5 million penalty was paid in April 2016 following U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that the company and certain former executives had improperly inflated financial results for the 2011 fiscal year. Bracken Darrell served as CEO from January 2013 until June 2023, when board member Guy Gecht assumed the interim role. Hanneke Faber, formerly group president at Unilever, became CEO on December 1, 2023.
Logitech has grown significantly through acquisitions. Labtec was purchased in 2001 for $150 million, expanding the peripheral range. Ultimate Ears, a maker of in-ear monitors and Bluetooth speakers, was acquired in 2010. In 2016, Logitech acquired wireless audio brand Jaybird for $50 million, and the same year purchased the Saitek simulation and gaming peripheral brand from Mad Catz for $13 million. Astro Gaming, known for professional gaming headsets, was bought in 2017 for $85 million. Blue Microphones followed in 2018 for $117 million, and streaming software maker Streamlabs was acquired in 2019 for approximately $89 million. In 2023, streaming controller maker Loupedeck was added for an undisclosed sum.
In March 2017, Logitech signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with McLaren as its Official Technology Peripherals Partner. That deal was later extended to cover McLaren's esports programme under the Logitech G gaming brand in 2020. Logitech G is the company's dedicated gaming sub-brand, covering racing wheels, controllers, headsets, mice, keyboards, and other gaming peripherals.
Logitech operates under several distinct product lines: the core Logitech brand for general PC peripherals; Logitech MX for flagship mice and keyboards; Logitech C for webcams; Logitech G for gaming products; Ultimate Ears for Bluetooth speakers and in-ear monitors; Jaybird for wireless sport earbuds; and Saitek for simulation peripherals. In Japan the main brand trades as Logicool rather than Logitech.
Gallery · 4 related images
