Apple Inc. (AAPL, Financial) has signed an agreement to acquire Pixelmator, a Lithuanian company known for developing image editing applications for Apple's iPhone and Mac platforms. The Pixelmator team will join Apple, but existing applications like Pixelmator Pro and Pixelmator for iOS will remain largely unchanged. The acquisition awaits regulatory approval, and financial terms have not been disclosed.
This move is part of Apple's strategy to strengthen its AI image editing capabilities and further enhance its unique product offerings. Pixelmator announced the acquisition, noting that details about the transaction amount remain undisclosed. Founded in 2007, Pixelmator is recognized for its image editing software that competes with Adobe Photoshop.
Apple has frequently highlighted Pixelmator's software during its product launches, and in 2018, named Pixelmator Pro the Mac app of the year for its use of Apple's machine learning and AI technologies. These capabilities include automatically removing distractions from photos and adjusting colors.
Pixelmator expressed that their design philosophy aligns with Apple's focus on product design, usability, and performance. Apple tends to acquire small companies that can add distinctive value to its product line, rather than pursuing large-scale acquisitions. The current suite of Pixelmator apps will see minimal changes post-acquisition.
This acquisition aligns with Apple's recent launch of the Apple Intelligence feature set, which includes photo editing tools like Clean Up that remove unwanted elements from photos using AI technology. Such acquisitions enable Apple to diversify its products and services, enhancing user experience.
Apple has a history of acquiring and integrating popular applications. For instance, it acquired the Dark Sky weather app in 2020, which was integrated into Apple's native weather app. In 2017, Apple bought Workflow, which evolved into the "Shortcuts" app, bolstering Siri's capabilities. These initiatives continuously expand Apple's service offerings, providing users with more convenient and powerful tools.
