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Color Labs

Founded Year

2010

Stage

Dead | Dead

Total Raised

$41M

About Color Labs

Color Labs operates as a photo and video-sharing application. It has developed applications for iPhone and Android platforms. It enables users to publish photos and have outsiders follow their photo streams. The company was founded in 2010 and is based in Palo Alto, California. Color Labs ceased its operation in December 2012.

Headquarters Location

201 Hamilton Ave

Palo Alto, California, 94301,

United States

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Research containing Color Labs

Get data-driven expert analysis from the CB Insights Intelligence Unit.

CB Insights Intelligence Analysts have mentioned Color Labs in 1 CB Insights research brief, most recently on Aug 29, 2023.

Color Labs Patents

Color Labs has filed 10 patents.

patents chart

Application Date

Grant Date

Title

Related Topics

Status

3/27/2013

4/5/2016

Social networking services, Video on demand services, Wireless networking, Multimedia, Biometrics

Grant

Application Date

3/27/2013

Grant Date

4/5/2016

Title

Related Topics

Social networking services, Video on demand services, Wireless networking, Multimedia, Biometrics

Status

Grant

Latest Color Labs News

Color Labs To Be Acquired By Apple

Nov 20, 2012

39 Comments Color Labs, the photo-and-video-sharing social network that received much criticism over its pre-launch $41 million funding round, is about to be acquired by Apple. We’ve heard through trusted sources that the startup was nabbed for a price that is in the ‘high double digits’, as in millions, and that the deal is ‘done’, though papers have yet to be signed. From what we know, founder Bill Nguyen has been away from the office for three months, after a period of intense strain between him and the board. Some of that has come out in stories so far. But what you may not know is that Nguyen actually designed the first user interface for the Color app. And, even before his relationship with the board soured, he was looking for a way to sell the company. For that, he turned to a previous relationship he had with Apple’s Senior Vice President Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue. Nguyen started building prototype apps to show to Cue and to other potential suitors, using the resources of the Color team. Those apps were then abandoned after he showed them off. An entirely new version of the Color broadcasting app was built and never released. Apparently, the technique worked as the deal is said to net everyone at Color, including investors, a return on the initial funding. Yes, we know, it seems crazy. But this wouldn’t be Apple’s first time buying one of Nguyen’s startups. They snagged Lala for $80 million in December, 2009 . As to why they’d want Color Labs? We would look to Color’s patents, which may include one for a file format that they were working on to record HD video . Color said that it had six patents pending at the time of its funding, including its ‘elastic’ social graph and patents related to GPS location and battery saving. iOS developer Daniel Jalkut uncovered several patent  applications that Color has filed for in the last couple of months that have names like “sharing content among a group of devices” and “user device group formation”. All of those patents reference a provisional application filed back in March of 2012 on the multiple device method. It’s not much of a stretch to say these patents could be applied to Apple’s Photo Stream feature in iOS 6. Or its software engineering team could be the target, if Apple was impressed by their work. If true, and our sources are very well placed, the acquisition helps end a tumultuous period of Color’s existence. From its launch, Color has undergone some different transformations. First, as an application some would consider to be innovative where the premise was that phones would group photos taken with nearby devices through the app, and now its most recent incarnation where it is focused on sharing videos on Facebook (and recently signed a deal with Verizon ). Many became skeptical over Color’s introduction to the scene when it was announced that investors like Bain Capital Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, and Sequoia Capital had poured in millions of dollars to this unproven company. It was started by serial entrepreneurs Nguyen and Peter Pham, but quickly unraveled over the next couple of years. Pham left the startup in June 2011 over unknown reasons and went to work at Los Angeles incubator Science. More conflicting news emerged this week as it was reported that the company was going to shut its doors, something that was quickly refuted . We’ve reached out to Apple and Color for more information and will update this post if we receive it. Image Credit:  AFP /Getty Images Say thanks or boo to Ken Yeung and Matthew Panzarino Contact

Color Labs Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • When was Color Labs founded?

    Color Labs was founded in 2010.

  • Where is Color Labs's headquarters?

    Color Labs's headquarters is located at 201 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto.

  • What is Color Labs's latest funding round?

    Color Labs's latest funding round is Dead.

  • How much did Color Labs raise?

    Color Labs raised a total of $41M.

  • Who are the investors of Color Labs?

    Investors of Color Labs include Apple, Sequoia Capital, Silicon Valley Bank and Bain Capital Ventures.

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