Visual effects software developer, The Foundry announced that it has merged with Mountain View, Calif.-based Luxology. The company intends to keep both brand names as they are for the time being.
“The Foundry and Luxology brands and customers are very valuable things that we don’t want to harm,” the company explained in an online Q&A. “So from day one – nothing changes. The existing teams remain the same, the websites remain the same, and you can continue to work with both companies in the same way you’ve always done. Internally we will begin the process of cross-pollination in an effort to leverage the combined strengths and knowledge base.”
The Foundry’s stable of 2D and 3D VFX software, including the popular NUKE compositing system, is largely complementary to Luxology’s 3D modelling and rendering technologies and its flagship product, modo.
The idea first came up a year ago at a chance meeting organized by John Knoll, visual effects supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, where he threw down the challenge of integrating products from both companies. This sparked the idea that the two companies would be better off combined, and the merger idea snowballed from there.
“I am a big fan of both Luxology and The Foundry, having been using modo for quite a while and KATANA here at ILM in the last 18 months,” explained Knoll. “Their marriage is really exciting for the VFX community. Their combined technology and similar approach to working with customers is a very interesting development. I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes on them.”
“We were impressed by modo’s strong roots in a variety of markets – including VFX, design and games – and by Luxology’s focus on creating artist-friendly, highly advanced technologies,” said Bill Collis, CEO of The Foundry. “Both companies are a great match for each other. The Foundry and Luxology’s products are highly complementary, and we both like our products to be open and flexible, letting the customers choose how they want to work. In the short term we will be continuing to develop the interaction between our products, which will be of immediate benefit to all of our customers. We can’t wait to see what our combined experience and knowledge will allow us to build in the long term.”
“Creative industries are converging in terms of media, quality and deliverables,” Brad Peebler, president of Luxology said. “Joining forces with The Foundry will allow us to accelerate the development of modo, ushering in a new era for our customers.”
