Apple acquires Polish visual effects firm MotionVFX

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Apple has acquired Polish firm MotionVFX, which creates visual-effects tools compatible with the US tech giant’s Final Cut Pro video-editing software.

The acquisition, the terms of which have not been disclosed, is seen as being part of an effort by Apple to attract more subscribers to its recently launched Creator Studio suite.

“We are extremely excited to share that MotionVFX is joining the Apple team to continue to empower creators and editors to do their best work,” announced the Polish firm. “This is the beginning of something truly wonderful.”

MotionVFX was founded in 2009 in the Polish town of Bielsko-Biała by Szymon Masiak, who had previously worked producing special effects for films such as Sin City and Pan’s Labyrinth.

After returning from California to his native Poland, Masiak noted that there was a gap in the market for ready-made video templates, which he began producing initially as a hobby, reports the Rzeczpospolita daily.

For a long time, the firm was a one-man operation. But over the last few years it has grown rapidly, now employing 70 people and last year generating almost 29 million zloty (€6.8 million) in revenue.

According to local media outlet Bielsko.Biala.pl, Apple Inc has now bought 100% of MotionVFX’s shares through its Irish unit, Apple Distribution International Ltd.

MotionVFX provides plug-ins, templates and visual effects tools for Final Cut Pro. By buying the firm, Apple will be able to integrate MotionVFX’s products directly into its own offerings, rather than relying on third-party extensions.

Digital cinema tech platform CineD notes that the acquisition gives Apple access to MotionVFX’s Final Cut Pro tools, including AI-powered rotoscoping to isolate objects, 3D tracking, surface tracking, and video upscaling to enhance resolution.

CNBC notes that the move would help Apple better compete with Adobe’s rival Premium Pro, and that it fits Apple’s historic strategy of shunning large acquisitions in favour of buying smaller companies then folding their technologies into existing products.

MotionVFX is the latest Polish firm to draw the attention of American investors. In December, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, acquired Neptune.ai, a Polish-founded startup that provides tools for monitoring and tracking the training of AI models.

Last month, a consortium including FedEx agreed to buy Polish delivery giant InPost in a deal valuing the firm at €7.8 billion (33 billion zloty).

Polish firms have also pursued high-profile acquisitions abroad. InPost has made several major purchases in western Europe, while Polish train and tram manufacturer Pesa recently acquired its German rival HeiterBlick, expanding its presence in Europe.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is deputy editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She has written for Clean Energy Wire and The Times, and she hosts her own podcast, The Warsaw Wire, on Poland’s economy and energy sector. She previously worked for Reuters.