In what can only be described as a stunning development, Native Instruments and iZotope have announced that they’re joining forces to form a new technology group backed by investment firms Francisco Partners and EMH Partners.
While the two companies will continue to operate independently, and there will be no structural changes at either of them, NI and iZotope will now work alongside each other on their “shared vision of a seamless creative experience”. Whether this will mean co-branded products, behind-the-scenes collaboration or simply greater interoperability between the two product lines remains to be seen.
Native Instruments has been in the hands of Francisco Partners and EMH Partners since January, but the addition of iZotope to the investors’ roster gives it new-found strength.
With iZotope’s intelligent processing, and Native Instrument’s innovative offerings, I can’t wait to see what artists will create.
Mark Ethier, iZotope co-founder and CEO
“iZotope and Native Instruments share the same mission to inspire and enable creativity,” says Mark Ethier, iZotope co-founder and CEO. “We both look to make it easier for engineers, producers and musicians to realize their creative vision, and together, we will be able to break down barriers that have stood in the way of that goal for decades. With iZotope’s intelligent processing, and Native Instrument’s innovative offerings, I can’t wait to see what artists will create.”
Constantin Koehncke, CEO of Native Instruments, adds, “As more and more people are getting into music making they are looking for easy access to the building blocks for their journey. Joining forces with iZotope brings us yet another step closer to fulfilling our shared mission to empower producers of all levels with everything they need - from instruments and effects, to a supportive and thriving community. I cannot begin to imagine what our combined talent and technology can come up with to inspire artists and music creators worldwide.”
Given that this is described as a new ‘group’ - albeit one that doesn’t appear to have a name - the obvious question is whether this is the end of the acquisitions, or if there could be more to come? Between them, Native Instruments and iZotope can offer musicians an awful lot, but neither company has a DAW - NI’s Maschine is something different - so a company that makes one of those could clearly make for a good fit.
This is just speculation, though, and Matt Spetzler, Co-Head Europe and Partner at Francisco Partners, certainly isn’t giving anything away regarding future plans.
“Through our personal passions for music, we find Native Instruments and iZotope to be two impressive pillars of the audio creation industry,” he says. “As we have gotten to know each company and their teams, we are convinced that they will transform and expand the industry by working together.”
