Microsoft has been on a buying spree lately. Prior to today, the Redmond tech giant had acquired at least four companies in the past couple of months, namely cybersecurity firm RiskIQ, Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) leader CloudKnox Security, data management firm Suplari, and a large-scale video streaming optimization company called Peer5. Today, it is adding another player to its portfolio by the way of Clipchamp.
Microsoft says that over the past few years, video-editing has become more accessible to people of all levels of experience. As such, it makes sense to acquire Clipchamp - a startup founded in 2013 offering web-based video-editing software - and expose it to an even larger user base.
Clipchamp offers a variety of tools, filters, and styles in a simple web app that can be used by "non-professionals and non-creatives". And while it is simple to use, Microsoft attests that it is quite powerful and sophisticated in its technical implementation. Once you are done with editing a video, Clipchamp also allows you to share it on other social media platforms. Clipchamp CEO Alex Dreiling explained his reasoning behind the Microsoft deal as follows:
Few companies in tech have the legacy and reach that Microsoft has. We all grew up with iconic Microsoft products and have been using them ever since. Becoming part of Microsoft allows us to become part of a future legacy. Under no other scenario could our future look more exciting than what’s ahead of us now. At Clipchamp we have always said that we’re not suffering from a lack of opportunity, there absolutely is an abundance of opportunity in video. We just need to figure out how to seize it. Inside Microsoft we can approach seizing our opportunity in entirely new ways.
The acquisition will allow Microsoft to extend the offerings of Microsoft 365 and to provide rich experiences across Windows. It will also enable Clipchamp to expand its offering and toolset. Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Office Media Group Chris Pratley had the following to say about the purchase:
As a web app that uses the full power of your PC, Clipchamp is a natural fit to extend the cloud-powered productivity experiences in Microsoft 365 for individuals, families, schools, and businesses. It’s also a great fit for Microsoft Windows, which is a platform for boundless creativity. Whether you are editing game clips, making a school project, putting together a memory of your kids, or assembling the next indie short, Clipchamp and Microsoft will help you express yourself through the emotional power of video. If you are already a Clipchamp user, it’s all going to get better with more options, more power, and the easy creation experience you love.
I am bubbling over with excitement that Clipchamp will be joining Microsoft. The Clipchamp team is a creative powerhouse dedicated to quality and great customer outcomes, and we welcome them wholeheartedly as kindred spirits. We will be doing incredible things together—more to come on that later!
As usual, the financials behind the deal have not been disclosed yet. If you haven't given Clipchamp a go yet, you can try it for free here. Although Clipchamp offers a free subscription, that is quite limited in tooling and capabilities. Prices go up to $39/month if you're looking to utilize the full feature-set on offer.
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