Apple acquires the team behind Pixelmator Pro

In a surprise Friday announcement, Pixelmator, the team behind the Mac image editing app, announced that it is being acquired by Apple.

Posted to the company's blog on Friday, Pixelmator shares the news that it has been picked up by Apple. The acquisition, the terms of which are unknown, brings the Pixelmator, Pixelmator Pro, and Photomator apps under Apple's ownership.

The team has signed an agreement for acquisition, but it still needs to receive regulatory approval before it completes.

While many apps have been acquired and incorporated into Apple's existing ecosystem previously, Pixelmator insists that won't immediately be the case here. There will be "no material changes" to the apps "at this time."

Pixelmator Pro is sold in the Mac App Store for $49.99 with a once-time purchase. Photomator is sold for $79.99 as a lifetime offer, $7.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.

In theory, Pixelmator slots comfortably into Apple's collection of creative apps for professionals. With Final Cut Pro handling video and Logic Pro for producing music, Pixelmator fills the image-editing gap.

"We've been inspired by Apple since day one, crafting our products with the same razor-sharp focus on design, ease of use, and performance," the post reads. "And looking back, it's crazy what a small group of dedicated people have been able to achieve over the years from all the way in Vilnius, Lithuania."

The team says it will have the ability to reach a much wider audience, and to "make a bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world."

The blog post concludes with a thanks to its users, who have supported Pixelmator for 17 years. It ends "As we step into this exciting new chapter, we can't wait to share what's next."