CEDAR Audio, the Cambridge-based world leader in audio restoration and noise reduction, has transitioned to an employee-owned model. The company, which holds both an Academy Award and an Emmy for its ground-breaking technical achievements, has handed control to its staff through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).

Founded in 1988 as a spin-out from the University of Cambridge, CEDAR is renowned for developing the world’s first real-time digital audio restoration systems. Its inventions, such as spectral editing and digital de-hissing, are now industry standards used by major film studios, broadcasters like the BBC, and national archives globally. The company’s technology was notably recognised with a Scientific and Technical Oscar in 2005 for its services to the movie industry.

The move to an EOT is designed to protect the company’s independence and ensure that the team responsible for its innovations can directly benefit from its future success. The transition was advised by Berkshire-based Initium Corporate Finance, which is itself an employee-owned firm.

Gordon Reid, chair of CEDAR Audio, said: “For nearly 40 years, we have tried to ensure that CEDAR Audio has been an exceptional place to work. We have always tried to treat our staff as much more than just employees and implemented people-centred policies such as flexible working long before it became fashionable.”

He added that the EOT model felt like a natural progression: “The outcome protects our independence, secures our long-term future, and ensures that the team who drive CEDAR benefit from the company’s success.”

Initium introduced the concept of employee ownership to the founders while they were initially considering a traditional sale or merger. Andrew Sims of Initium commented: “CEDAR Audio is a remarkable business – technically brilliant, globally respected, and driven by a deep sense of purpose. This transition honours its past while setting the foundation for sustainable, people-centred growth.”

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