BasICColor
basICColor is a Penzberg, Germany-based vendor of display calibration and ICC profiling software for professional photography, prepress, and graphic design workflows, now in EOL maintenance mode under retired sole proprietor Karl Koch.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersPenzberg, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BasICColor does
basICColor is a German color management software vendor operated as a sole proprietorship — Ingenieurbüro Dipl.-Ing. Karl Koch — headquartered in Penzberg, Bavaria. Its sole commercial product, basICColor display 6, is display calibration and ICC profiling software for color-critical professional workflows in photography, prepress, graphic design, and other imaging disciplines. The software integrates with external measurement instruments via Intel-based instrument drivers and provides ICC profile creation and monitor color matching for users who require consistent, accurate color reproduction between display and print output.
The company has announced that basICColor display 6 has reached End of Life (EOL). Existing installations continue to function, but the software is flagged as incompatible with macOS 27 because of its Intel-only driver dependencies, and no new product development is underway. License management is outsourced to DINAX GmbH, which operates the license server that handles activation, deactivation, and machine transfers for existing licensed seats, while Instant Data GmbH acts as external data processor under GDPR. The firm is in an effective wind-down posture: founder and owner Karl Koch is retired, headcount is minimal, and the company is focused on serving its legacy installed base in the DACH region through a sales-led motion driven by website contact forms and a maintained newsletter.
BasICColor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BasICColor
- Legal name
- Ingenieurbüro Dipl.-Ing. Karl Koch
- Website
- https://basiccolor.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- basICColor is a Penzberg, Germany-based vendor of display calibration and ICC profiling software for professional photography, prepress, and graphic design workflows, now in EOL maintenance mode under retired sole proprietor Karl Koch.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BasICColor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Color Management Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional & Creative Monitors (Color-Accurate/Reference) (HDACADAB)
Keywords
Where BasICColor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Penzberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BasICColor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Software Licensing: Revenue generated from software licenses for basICColor display and related color management products. The license server remains active for existing customers to transfer licenses between machines. Products are now EOL but continue to work on supported systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Legacy software licensing (EOL) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
BasICColor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BasICColor develops and licenses display color calibration software used by professional imaging, prepress, and graphic design workflows to create ICC profiles and ensure consistent monitor color matching. Its principal product, basICColor display 6, has reached End of Life and will not run under macOS 27, while the license server remains active for transferring existing licenses between machines. The business operates in maintenance mode for previously licensed customers rather than active new product sales.
Product overview
BasICColor is a color management solutions company operated by Ingenieurbüro Dipl.-Ing. Karl Koch, based in Penzberg, Germany. The company's primary product was basICColor display 6, a display color calibration software that created ICC profiles for monitor color matching. The software has reached End of Life (EOL) status - existing products continue to work but will not be supported under newer operating systems like macOS 27 due to Intel-based drivers. A license server remains active for existing licensed users to transfer licenses between machines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- basICColor display 6 Display color calibration software that creates ICC profiles for monitor color matching and integrates with professional measurement instruments; targeted at professional imaging, prepress, and graphic design users with color-critical workflows. The product is EOL — existing installations continue to function on supported systems, and the license server remains active for machine transfers of existing licenses.
Companies that use BasICColor
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
BasICColor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
BasICColor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- DINAX GmbHcoreDINAX GmbH operates the license server for basICColor software. Located in Neuss, Germany, they manage license activation, deactivation, and machine transfer functionality for basICColor products.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
BasICColor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Light Illusion (LightSpace): Light Illusion offers LightSpace CMS for professional display calibration and LUT management, targeting colorists, post-production, and grading workflows that intersect with basICColor's prepress and graphic design user base.
- Portrait Displays (CalMAN): Portrait Displays' CalMAN is best known for video display calibration but overlaps in color-critical display profiling for post-production and prepress, sharing the same professional color management customer base as basICColor.
Broad incumbents
- BenQ (PaletteMaster Element): BenQ ships PaletteMaster Element calibration software with its Photo Editing and Video Post-Production monitors, providing a hardware-integrated alternative to standalone display profilers like basICColor display.
- EIZO (ColorNavigator): EIZO is a major professional/creative monitor manufacturer that bundles ColorNavigator calibration software with its ColorEdge displays, competing head-on with basICColor in color-critical display workflows for prepress and photography.
- NEC Display Solutions (SpectraView): NEC's SpectraView II engine is bundled with professional PA and PV series monitors to provide integrated ICC calibration, directly overlapping with basICColor's display calibration value proposition for the same professional user base.
Regional players
- Quato (iColor Display): Quato is a German/DACH-region color calibration hardware-and-software vendor with iColor Display, historically a direct competitor to basICColor in the German professional imaging market.
Direct peers
- X-Rite (i1Profiler / ColorMunki): X-Rite is the dominant player in display calibration software with i1Profiler and the legacy ColorMunki line, directly serving the same professional imaging and prepress color management workflows that basICColor targets, with hardware/software bundles spanning macOS support.
- Calibrite (formerly X-Rite ColorMunki): Calibrite spun out of X-Rite and now sells ColorChecker and display calibrator products (Display Pro, Display Plus) with actively developed profiler software, directly competing in the same display calibration niche as basICColor display.
- Datacolor (SpyderX): Datacolor's SpyderX is a direct competitor offering display calibration hardware and software for photographers, designers, and videographers, overlapping almost completely with basICColor display's professional imaging use case and including current macOS support.
Others
- ColorVision (legacy): ColorVision was acquired by Datacolor and its Spyder/PrintFIX product line traces to early consumer and prosumer display calibration software, part of the same category evolution as basICColor display.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
BasICColor social profiles
Digital presenceBasICColor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BasICColor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BasICColor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BasICColor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BasICColor
What does BasICColor do?
BasICColor develops and licenses display color calibration software used by professional imaging, prepress, and graphic design workflows to create ICC profiles and ensure consistent monitor color matching. Its principal product, basICColor display 6, has reached End of Life and will not run under macOS 27, while the license server remains active for transferring existing licenses between machines. The business operates in maintenance mode for previously licensed customers rather than active new product sales.
Is BasICColor a public or private company?
BasICColor is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BasICColor founded?
BasICColor was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BasICColor based?
BasICColor is headquartered in Penzberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does BasICColor make money?
One revenue line is on record: software Licensing.
Who are BasICColor's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Light Illusion (LightSpace) and Portrait Displays (CalMAN). Broad incumbents are BenQ (PaletteMaster Element), EIZO (ColorNavigator) and NEC Display Solutions (SpectraView). Quato (iColor Display) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are X-Rite (i1Profiler / ColorMunki), Calibrite (formerly X-Rite ColorMunki) and Datacolor (SpyderX). ColorVision (legacy) is listed as an others.
Does BasICColor have an API?
No public API is recorded for BasICColor.
What industry is BasICColor in?
BasICColor's product category is Color Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACADAB, Professional & Creative Monitors (Color-Accurate/Reference).