What Afterlight does

Afterlight Collective, Inc. is a Sacramento, California-based, privately held developer of consumer photo editing software founded around 2012. The company operates a horizontal, two-product business built around a film-aesthetic positioning: the Afterlight mobile application for iOS and Android, which delivers 300+ film-inspired presets, handcrafted dust/material/light textures, overlay effects (Halation, Chroma, Prism, Double Exposure), instant film frames, advanced touch tools, and RAW image support; and a desktop line of Lightroom-compatible preset and texture packs sold through the company's e-commerce storefront. The company also operates yuzu cam, a wholly-owned vintage Y2K camera sub-brand app for iOS, and earns third-party validation through Apple Editors' Choice recognition.

Underlying technology is a mobile-native image processing pipeline paired with a content library of presets and textures authored from genuine 35mm film scans. The desktop line is delivered in XMP format, the native preset format for Adobe Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, and Photoshop, enabling cross-device workflow continuity through Adobe accounts. The platform supports user-generated "Fusion Filters" that combine multiple presets, and the company maintains a privacy-first architecture in which user photos and face data are never stored on company servers, with stated GDPR, CCPA, COPPA, and APPi compliance.

The business model combines a freemium mobile funnel with a PRO subscription priced at $3.99/month or $23.99/year (with a 7-day free trial) that unlocks the full content and tools library, plus one-time desktop purchases of individual preset packs ($19-$39) and two value bundles—The Analog Bundle ($68) and The Atmos Bundle ($59), each offered at a stated 50% discount versus individual item pricing. Distribution runs through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store globally, while desktop sales are direct-to-consumer via the company's own Shopify-based e-commerce site. Marketing is organic and product-led, anchored on Instagram and TikTok presence, app store optimization, email capture with a sample-pack incentive, and user testimonials. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investors in the source materials.

Name

Afterlight

Legal name

Afterlight Collective, Inc.

Website

https://afterlight.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Afterlight Collective, Inc. operates the Afterlight mobile photo editing app (iOS/Android) with 300+ film-inspired presets, the yuzu cam vintage camera sub-brand, and desktop Lightroom preset packs, serving individual creators and professional photographers through a freemium and one-time purchase model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mobile App Subscription (PRO): Freemium model with free basic version and PRO subscription upgrade. PRO includes 300+ filters, all textures, advanced tools, frames, and overlay tools. Subscription billed monthly at $3.99 or annually at $23.99 with 7-day free trial.
2. Desktop Preset Packs: One-time purchase of Lightroom preset packs for desktop use. Individual packs priced at $19-$39. Works with Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, and Photoshop.
3. Desktop Bundle Products: Bundled preset and texture packs offering 50% discount vs individual purchases. The Analog Bundle at $68 (originally $136) and The Atmos Bundle at $59 (originally $117).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Afterlight develops and sells the Afterlight mobile photo editing app for iOS and Android, offering 300+ film-inspired presets, handcrafted textures, advanced touch editing tools, RAW support, and overlay effects under a freemium model with a paid PRO subscription. The company also sells desktop Lightroom preset packs and texture packs directly through its e-commerce site for use with Adobe Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, and Photoshop, targeting individual creators and photographers seeking film-aesthetic editing workflows.

Product overview

Afterlight Collective, Inc. offers a unified platform of photo editing products comprising the Afterlight mobile app (iOS/Android), the Afterlight PRO subscription tier, the yuzu cam sub-brand app, and Desktop Lightroom Presets sold as individual packs and bundled collections. The core Afterlight app delivers 300+ film-inspired presets, textures (Dust, Material, Light), effects, frames, and advanced editing tools on mobile. Afterlight PRO is a subscription upgrade ($3.99/month or $23.99/year) unlocking all premium filters, textures, and tools. Desktop Presets are sold as 10 individual Lightroom preset packs (35mm Film, Dark & Moody, Dreamy Glow, Earth Tones, Golden Hour, Light & Vibrant, Portrait) and 3 texture packs (Dust, Light Leaks, Vintage Paper), plus two value bundles—The Analog Bundle ($68) combining film-focused presets with texture packs and The Atmos Bundle ($59) combining color/style-focused preset packs. The yuzu cam app provides vintage y2k camera functionality. All products emphasize film photography aesthetics and are targeted at creators and photographers seeking consistent, professional-grade editing workflows across mobile and desktop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• yuzu cam: A camera app that captures moments with film and vintage Y2K cameras, featuring real-time presets and lens effects.

Products and services

• Afterlight Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• Transforms photos in an instant

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Adobe Lightroom ClassiccoreTechnology or IntegrationAfterlight Desktop Presets are delivered in XMP format, which is the native format for Adobe Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, and Photoshop. This integration allows preset compatibility and synchronization across devices via Adobe account.
• Adobe LightroomcoreTechnology or IntegrationDesktop presets work with Adobe Lightroom, syncing to all devices logged into the user's Adobe account including mobile.
• Adobe PhotoshopcoreTechnology or IntegrationPreset files can be imported through Photoshop's Camera Raw Filter for use in photo editing workflows.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VSCO: VSCO is a freemium mobile photo and video editor built around curated, film-inspired presets and editing tools, with a strong creator community. It is the closest direct competitor to Afterlight in mobile photo editing, sharing a similar target audience of creators and aesthetic-driven editing workflows.
• Picsart: Picsart is a freemium photo and video editing platform with mobile apps and a creator community. It targets similar creators and small business users with editing tools, filters, and effects, competing directly with Afterlight in the consumer creator market.
• Polarr: Polarr offers a mobile photo editor and AI-driven editing tools with preset libraries and a strong focus on aesthetic editing. It overlaps with Afterlight's preset-based editing approach and serves a similar creator segment.
• RNI Films: RNI Films by Really Nice Images is a mobile film emulation app offering high-quality film stock presets for photographers. It is a direct competitor to Afterlight's film-inspired preset positioning, particularly within the analog aesthetic niche.
• Tezza (Tezza App): Tezza is a mobile photo and video editing app offering aesthetic presets, filters, and editing tools targeted at influencers and creators. It overlaps with Afterlight's positioning as a creator-focused aesthetic editing platform.

Broad incumbents

• Adobe Lightroom Mobile: Adobe Lightroom Mobile is a free photo editing app with premium subscription features, integrating with the broader Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem. It competes directly with Afterlight in mobile photo editing and serves as the desktop platform that Afterlight's presets integrate with.
• Snapseed: Snapseed is a free mobile photo editor developed by Nik Software and now owned by Google, offering professional-grade editing tools at no cost. It is a direct substitute for Afterlight's free tier and represents the largest free competitor in the mobile editing space.

Emerging players

• Lightricks (Facetune, Photoleap): Lightricks operates consumer photo and video editing apps including Facetune and Photoleap, targeting creators and social media users with subscription-based premium features. The company overlaps with Afterlight in mobile-first creator editing.
• Darkroom: Darkroom is a mobile photo editor focused on professional-grade tools with a minimalist interface and premium subscription. It targets similar creator and enthusiast segments as Afterlight, with comparable pricing and feature positioning.
• A Color Story: A Color Story is a mobile photo editing app focused on curated presets, filters, and aesthetic editing tools for creators. It targets a similar Instagram-era creator audience as Afterlight with comparable freemium and preset-based features.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/afterlight
• Xx.com/AfterLightApp
• Facebookfacebook.com/afterlightapp

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Afterlight