Esmertec AG, a publicly held Swiss company that specializes in Android and Java phone widgetry, is buying French-based LiMo ISV Purple Labs for stock worth about $80 million plus an earn-out in shares now worth about $18 million. Together they will create the Myriad Group worth an estimated $125 million in 2009 revenues with 800 engineers spread across Europe, America and Asia and a chi-chi list of clients, making it one of the first mobile software vendors to attain significant scale.

Purple CEO Simon Wilkinson will run the combined company; Esmertec chairman Hans Peter Baumgartner will be chairman.

Purple reportedly cleared $14 million in revenues in the second half of last year, up 4x its results in the first half when it raised close to $23 million in venture money, bringing its total investment to $37.5 million.

Purple pocketed the Openwave browser messaging business last June and then acquired Sagem Wireless’ mobile application portfolio while Esmertec acquired Sagem Mobiles’ software platform.

Purple came away with a $67 million contract to provide software and services to Sagem over the next three years – an arrangement that started in January – and a collaboration deal with Esmertec. Sagem develops phones branded by Sony Ericsson, Orange and Vodafone.

Purple’s customers are said to represent more than 85% of the world’s mobile phones.

The acquisition should close by the end of March and the combination is supposed to save about $13 million starting in early 2010.