Apple has completed the acquisition of Workflow in a deal that was finalized on Wednesday. The smartphone giant has not yet released details of the deal but the negotiation has been in the public eye over the last few months. Workflow is a tool that allows users to hook apps together while using strings of command to offer automation. This was a massive deal for Workflow. The developers of the app had already taken seed funding totaling a few million dollars from Lowercase, General Catalyst, and Eniac. With these small investments, it appears that the upside for returns upon acquisition is high and as such, it’s safe to assume that it was a solid payday for Workflow investors and developers after the deal.
Workflow is a fairly popular app that has been around for some time. It was developed by Ari Weinstein who is actually a former iPhone jailbreaker. The number of Workflow users has also been on the rise with a sizable number of downloads in the last couple of years. Apple will not just acquire the app, it will also acquire the entire team including developers Ari Weinstein, Ayaka Nonaka, Conrad Kramer, and Nick Frey.
In addition to this, Apple has also confirmed that the app will be available on the App Store, and starting tomorrow, it will be free for download. In a statement released to the press, Workflow founder Ari Weinstein noted that the company was thrilled to join Apple with this new deal. He also noted that they have worked with Apple closely during app’s launch and development. Weinstein expressed optimism that the deal will provide an even better avenue to help improve the app and enshrine its role in a wide range of Apple apps that have continued to touch the lives of people around the world.
Apple’s acquisition of Workflow is not surprising at all. It appears that the US smartphone maker has had their eyes on the app for quite some time. In 2015, Workflow won the Apple Design Award. The app was very exciting at the time and it drew the attention of Apple’s Accessibility Engineer, Dean Hudson. Speaking after signing the deal, Apple said that the Workflow app was quite outstanding, especially because of its simple and efficient use of iOS accessibility features.
Even though at the moment Workflow’s existing integration with apps is quite extensive, the company said that with this deal, these extensions will be reviewed and updated to ensure an even better user experience. The acquisition of Workflow is a clear indication that app development still offers very good opportunities especially for developers like Ari Weinstein and his team who have somehow created something so effective and so useful that Apple felt they couldn’t do better in design other than buying it. Details of the deal will start to trickle out in the coming days and when they do, we will be here to keep you in the loop.
