Therefore, Ableton and Cycling ’74 will continue to operate independently, while we look for ways to collaborate and support each other. For example, Cycling ’74 people work from home in many different places in the world, while most Ableton employees work in an office in Berlin. While we share a long-term commitment to improving how artists can work with technology, we also recognize that each organization works a bit differently. This unlikely partnership not only added extensibility to Live, but it gave Max an important new dimension as well. From that glimmer of an idea, it would be ten years before we released the first version of Max for Live in 2009. It wasn’t long after I saw the first demo of Ableton Live from Robert Henke that he told me how cool it would be if you could make Live devices with Max. The obvious case in point is Max for Live. Making a dent in this problem requires both imagination and persistence. Over the years, I have come to appreciate that we both share the same obsession: the incredibly hard problem of creative workflow, or how can you use technology to make something out of nothing? Cycling ’74 and Ableton have a long relationship going back to the very first years of both companies in the late 1990s. Above all, the primary goal with this new partnership is continuity, which is probably not what you typically think when you hear about acquisitions. On behalf of my co-workers at Cycling ’74, I am pleased to share the news of our acquisition by our good friends at Ableton. Here’s the text of the announcement from Cycling ’74 CEO David Zicarelli: The companies plan to maintain independent operations, but with closer collaboration. The companies have ‘shared DNA’, with Ableton Live originating in a Max patch and about a decade of collaboration on Max For Live. Cycling ’74, creators of Max and Max For Live, today announced that they have been acquired by Ableton.

Cycling 74 soundflower