Apple Acquires One-Person Software Company Behind Popular Color Grading Tool
In a move that could reshape its creative software arsenal, Apple has acquired Patchflyer GmbH, the one-person German software company behind the web-based color grading tool Color.io.
The acquisition, which took place in January 2025, was revealed through European regulatory documents. Patchflyer’s sole employee and founder, Jonathan Ochmann, is now working for Apple.
The Tool: Color.io
Ochmann spent a decade developing and maintaining Color.io, a project that attracted over 200,000 users. The tool offered a sophisticated suite of features, including:
- Analog-inspired color science
- Volumetric film grain engine
- Log-encoded web-based color space
- Effect emulations (e.g., halation, bloom)
- 3D LUT creation
In November 2024, Ochmann announced the website would close on December 31, 2025. He stated the closure was due to him joining an unnamed company that had "shaped and inspired" him. Ochmann noted the move would allow him to work at a larger scale and create tools he could not have made alone.
What This Means for Apple’s Software
With Ochmann and the technology behind Color.io now part of Apple, industry observers anticipate integration into Apple's creative suite. Likely candidates include Final Cut Pro, Photos, and the recently acquired Pixelmator Pro.
This acquisition is part of a broader pattern: Apple acquired 11 companies in 2025 and early 2026, continuing an aggressive strategy of bolstering its creative tools division.
Related Hiring
In a parallel development, Apple also hired Lux Optics co-founder Sebastiaan de With, a key developer of the popular Halide and Kino camera apps. Notably, Lux Optics' other co-founder, Ben Sandofksy, is reportedly suing de With, alleging financial improprieties and the taking of source code to Apple.