Mattebox
Mattebox is a one-person Chicago-based software product offering a film-inspired, non-AI photo and video editor for iPhone and iPad via a freemium app with a Mattebox Pro subscription, serving individual photographers and videographers who prefer authentic film aesthetics.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Mattebox does
Mattebox, operated by Syverson Industries LLC, is a Chicago-based software product that provides a film-inspired photo and video editing application for iPhone and iPad, distributed exclusively through the Apple App Store. The company is a solo operation run by founder Ben Syverson, who has been developing creative tools for over 30 years. The app is built around a custom imaging core modeled on the way analog film responds to light, offering physically modeled tonal characteristics rather than AI-driven processing; Mattebox explicitly avoids cloud functions, generative AI, and remote user data storage. Core features including exposure, contrast, color balance, and preset filters are provided free, while the Mattebox Pro subscription tier adds advanced RAW conversion controls, HDR-range RGB curves, HSL curves, parametric tonal adjustments, the physically modeled Pro Diffusion effect, and Filter Export Pro, which exports filters as 3D LUTs (CUBE format) or Adobe Lightroom profiles for use in external professional workflows. Filter sharing is supported via App Clips for iOS 18+ users and Mastodon-based feed publishing. The go-to-market is product-led with a freemium model, top-of-funnel community engagement through Instagram and Mastodon, and no disclosed pricing for Mattebox Pro. The customer base consists of individual photographers and videographers seeking authentic film aesthetics in a privacy-first, non-AI editing tool.
Mattebox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mattebox
- Legal name
- Syverson Industries LLC
- Website
- https://mattebox.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Mattebox is a one-person Chicago-based software product offering a film-inspired, non-AI photo and video editor for iPhone and iPad via a freemium app with a Mattebox Pro subscription, serving individual photographers and videographers who prefer authentic film aesthetics.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Mattebox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mattebox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Mattebox Pro Subscription: Subscription-based revenue from Mattebox Pro which provides advanced features including Raw controls, curves, tonal adjustments, Pro Diffusion, and filter export capabilities. Main app features are free.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free version with core editing tools |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mattebox Pro subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Mattebox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mattebox is a film-inspired photo and video editor for iPhone and iPad built around a custom imaging core that models the way analog film responds to light. The free app provides core editing tools (exposure, contrast, color balance) and access to preset filters, while Mattebox Pro adds advanced RAW conversion, HDR-range RGB and HSL curves, parametric tonal controls, the Pro Diffusion effect, and filter export as 3D LUTs or Adobe Lightroom profiles.
Product overview
Mattebox is a single-product family comprising a free core photo and video editor (Mattebox Free) and a subscription upgrade (Mattebox Pro). The free version provides essential editing tools (exposure, contrast, color balance) and access to preset filters. Mattebox Pro adds advanced raw processing, RGB/HSL curves, Pro Diffusion, and Filter Export Pro capabilities. All versions share a custom imaging core modeled on analog film response.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mattebox Pro: Subscription tier offering advanced Raw conversion, curves, tonal adjustments, Pro Diffusion, and filter export features (CUBE LUTs and Adobe Lightroom profiles).
Products and services
- Mattebox (Free) Free film-inspired photo and video editor for iPhone and iPad, providing core editing tools (exposure, contrast, color balance) and access to preset filters built on a custom imaging core modeled on analog film response. Targeted at individual photographers, videographers, and content creators who want natural, non-AI mobile image editing.
- Mattebox Pro Subscription upgrade to Mattebox for iPhone and iPad that adds advanced RAW photo conversion, HDR-range RGB Curves, full HSL Curves, parametric tonal controls, the physically modeled Pro Diffusion effect, and Filter Export Pro (export of saved filters as 3D LUTs in Cube format and Adobe Lightroom profiles). Designed for professional and prosumer photographers and videographers who need fine-grained tonal control and cross-software filter export.
Companies that use Mattebox
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Mattebox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature6 records
Mattebox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Mattebox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- RNI Films (RNI Colibri): RNI Films is a mobile film-emulation app offering high-quality film stock and color rendering presets, often praised by photographers for accuracy. It overlaps with Mattebox's film-inspired aesthetic and prosumer photographer target.
- Filmborn: Filmborn is a mobile film-emulation photo editor that emphasizes film stock authenticity and curated looks. It targets the same analog-loving photographer niche as Mattebox with a comparable freemium/subscription model.
- Polarr: Polarr is a cross-platform photo editor with mobile, desktop, and web versions plus AI-assisted tools and a community for sharing filters and presets. It is adjacent to Mattebox in professional mobile editing and filter-sharing mechanics but operates at broader platform scope.
Direct peers
- Afterlight: Afterlight is an iOS photo editor offering a wide range of filters, textures, and editing tools with a freemium subscription. It competes for the same iPhone photographer segment and shares the App Store, freemium, and filter-driven discovery model with Mattebox.
- Hipstamatic: Hipstamatic is a pioneering iOS app known for film-inspired and lens-inspired mobile photography, with a freemium model and in-app filter/lens packs. It is the most direct aesthetic peer to Mattebox's film-look positioning.
- Darkroom Photo Editor: Darkroom is an iOS-first subscription photo editor built by a small team, focused on fast professional workflows including RAW editing, curves, and filters. It is the closest head-to-head competitor to Mattebox in terms of platform (iOS-only), team size, target user (photography enthusiasts), and subscription monetization.
- VSCO: VSCO is a mobile photo and video editor with a freemium subscription model, preset-based filters, and a strong creator community — directly comparable to Mattebox in distribution channel (App Store), monetization (Pro subscription), and target user (photography enthusiasts seeking curated looks).
- Snapseed: Snapseed is a free, professional-grade mobile photo editor owned by Google offering RAW editing, curves, and selective adjustments. It overlaps directly with Mattebox's free tier on iOS in target customer, feature set (RAW controls, curves, tonal adjustments), and free-only pricing.
Broad incumbents
- Adobe Lightroom Mobile: Adobe Lightroom Mobile is the dominant professional mobile photo editor, with deep RAW processing, curves, presets, and ecosystem integration with desktop Lightroom. It is the broad incumbent against which Mattebox Pro's RAW/curves/Lightroom profile export competes.
- Apple Photos: Apple Photos is preinstalled on every iPhone and iPad and offers built-in editing, filters, and increasingly RAW support via Apple ProRAW. It is the default, free alternative that Mattebox must differentiate against at the top of every iOS user's home screen.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mattebox social profiles
Digital presenceMattebox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mattebox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Mattebox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mattebox 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 Mattebox
What does Mattebox do?
Mattebox is a film-inspired photo and video editor for iPhone and iPad built around a custom imaging core that models the way analog film responds to light. The free app provides core editing tools (exposure, contrast, color balance) and access to preset filters, while Mattebox Pro adds advanced RAW conversion, HDR-range RGB and HSL curves, parametric tonal controls, the Pro Diffusion effect, and filter export as 3D LUTs or Adobe Lightroom profiles.
Is Mattebox a public or private company?
Mattebox is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mattebox founded?
Mattebox was founded in 2011.
Where is Mattebox based?
Mattebox is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mattebox make money?
One revenue line is on record: mattebox Pro Subscription.
Who are Mattebox's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are RNI Films (RNI Colibri), Filmborn and Polarr. Direct peers are Afterlight, Hipstamatic, Darkroom Photo Editor, VSCO and Snapseed. Broad incumbents are Adobe Lightroom Mobile and Apple Photos.
Does Mattebox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mattebox.