You might not have heard of it, but you’ll almost certainly know some of the software that’s been developed using JUCE, the cross-platform audio app development framework (the likes of Korg Gadget, Cycling ‘74 Max, ROLI Equator and UVI Beathawk).
Originally released in 2004, and picked up by ROLI in 2014, it’s now been announced that JUCE has been acquired by PACE Anti-Piracy Inc, developer of the iLok licence management system.
JUCE was created by Jules Storer, the brains behind the Tracktion DAW, and he expressed his backing for the change of ownership: “ROLI has been a great home for JUCE, helping it grow into one of the most important tools in the audio industry... However, that importance also meant that it began to attract some acquisition offers!
“Of the many companies who expressed an interest, PACE came out tops for us in terms of what a good owner of JUCE needs to offer: their culture is completely developer-focused, they're a neutral company who are in the licensing business and already have relationships with many JUCE customers, and their motivations for owning it align with those of the JUCE team.”
Storer will remain at ROLI but also advise the JUCE/PACE team: “I’ve always had the utmost respect for Jules, his work, and the team he’s put together,” said Allen Cronce, founder and CEO of PACE. “The JUCE framework is very important to the pro audio community and our customers. We’re happy to give the JUCE team a new home and look forward to supporting their continued efforts that make JUCE a world-class application framework.”
The sale follows a report in The Telegraph (behind a paywall) that ROLI recently took out an additional $4.1m loan from TriplePoint, its US backer, as it looked to secure extra funding. Its most recent product, the LUMI keyboard, was launched on Kickstarter in 2019. We’re told that the company has so far fulfilled two thirds of more than 7,000 orders for the product and that the remaining orders should be fulfilled by the end of April.
Find out more about the JUCE acquisition on the JUCE website.
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