{{Infobox company | name = Color Labs | logo = | type = [[Privately held company|Private]] | location_city = [[Palo Alto, California]] | location_country = | key_people = [[Bill Nguyen]]<br/>[[Geoff Ralston]]<br/>[[Douglas Leone]] | website = <code>color.com</code> (Taken over) }} {{Infobox software | name = Color | logo = | screenshot = | caption = Viewing a posted photo in Color | collapsible = | developer = Color Labs, Inc. | released = {{Start date and age|2011|03|24}}<ref name="zdnet" /> | discontinued = yes | programming language = | operating system = [[iOS 4]].2 or later | platform = | size = 7.7 [[Megabyte|MB]] | language = English | genre = [[Social networking software]] | license = [[Freeware]] | website = {{url|color.com}} (Taken over) }}
'''Color Labs, Inc.''' was a start-up based in [[Palo Alto, California]], US. Its main product was the eponymous [[mobile app]] for sharing photos through [[Social networking service|social networking]]. It allowed people to take photos in addition to viewing other photos also taken in the vicinity. The application grouped photos based on a user's friends so that he or she is more likely to see more relevant ones.
Following skepticism and rumors from [[Silicon Valley]] commentators,<ref name="thingsD">{{Cite news |title= What's Really Going on With Color: A Small Apple Talent Acquisition |date= October 18, 2012 |first1= Liz |last1= Gannes |first2= John |last2= Paczkowski |work= All Things D |url= http://allthingsd.com/20121018/whats-really-going-on-with-color-a-small-apple-talent-acquisition/ |accessdate= June 14, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="bought">{{Cite news |title= Sources: Apple Paid $7 Million For Color Labs |work= Tech Crunch |first=Coleen |last= Taylor |date= November 9, 2012 |url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/19/sources-apple-paid-7-million-for-color-labs/ }}</ref> Color Labs stopped selling the app at the end of 2012.<ref name="shut">{{Cite news |title= Color, The $41 Million App, Really Is Shutting Down Now |first= Owen |last= Thomas |date= November 20, 2012 |url= http://www.businessinsider.com/color-shutdown-2012-11 |accessdate= June 14, 2013 }}</ref>
== Launch == The group started when co-founders [[Bill Nguyen]] and Peter Pham received $41 million in funding. Color was named as a tribute to [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s color logo from the Apple II. Nguyen described the Apple II as having changed his life when he was seven.<ref name="Quora">{{cite web|last=Nguyen |first=Bill| title= Why is Color named "Color"? | url=http://www.quora.com/Color-Labs-startup/Why-is-Color-named-Color| publisher=Quora| accessdate=December 14, 2011|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=January 2023}} The domain name Color.com was bought in December 2010 for $350,000.<ref name="domainnamewire">{{cite web|last=Alleman |first=Andrew| title= Sequoia and Bain Capital-Backed Startup Was $350,000 Color.com Buyer | url=http://domainnamewire.com/2011/03/24/sequoia-and-bain-capital-backed-startup-was-350000-color-com-buyer/| publisher=DomainNameWire| accessdate=December 15, 2011|date=March 24, 2011}}</ref>
In 2010–2011, Color closed $25 million in funding from [[Sequoia Capital]], $9 million from [[Bain Capital]], and $7 million in venture debt from [[Silicon Valley Bank]].<ref name="wsj">{{cite web| last=McMahan| first=TY|title=Sequoia To Color Labs: Not Since Google Have We Seen This. |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2011/03/24/sequoia-to-color-labs-not-since-google-have-we-seen-this/ |publisher= WSJ|accessdate=December 10, 2011| date=March 24, 2011}}</ref> In September 2011, [[Douglas Leone]] revealed that Sequoia Capital only invested three days before the scheduled launch of Color.<ref name="tcsept2011">{{cite web| last=Rao| first=Leena|title=Sequoia's Doug Leone: We Are 'Thrilled' To Be Investors In Color, 'Stay Tuned' For The Pivot.|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/09/18/sequoias-doug-leone-we-are-thrilled-to-be-investors-in-color-stay-tuned-for-the-pivot/ |publisher= TechCrunch|accessdate=December 10, 2011| date=September 18, 2011}}</ref>
On March 24, 2011, Color launched its eponymous [[mobile app]] in [[App Store (iOS)|iOS App Store]].<ref name="zdnet">{{cite web| last=O'Grady| first=Jason|title=Color: New social photo app arrives for iOS.| website=[[ZDNet]]|url=http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/color-new-social-photo-app-arrives-for-ios/9838|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403004531/http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/color-new-social-photo-app-arrives-for-ios/9838|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 3, 2011|accessdate=December 11, 2011| date=March 24, 2011}}</ref> A week after the launch,<ref name="zdnet" /> Color Labs released an update with significant changes to the iOS App interface—allowing users to see photos from events "Nearby", a "Feed" of relevant photos, and a "History" of groups that users can participate in. Words underneath each icon explaining what they did were also added.
In July 2011, it was reported that [[Google]] offered to buy Color for $200 million before their first launch, but Color Labs turned down the deal.<ref name="tcjuly">{{cite web| last=Arrington| first=Michael|title=Google Tried To Buy Color For $200 Million. Color Said No.|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/21/google-tried-to-buy-color-for-200-million-color-said-no/ |publisher= TechCrunch|accessdate=December 11, 2011| date=July 21, 2011}}</ref>
== Controversy and demise== When it launched, the application had around 1 million downloads. By September 2011, the service had a little under 100,000 active users.<ref name="venturebeat">{{cite web| last=Ha| first=Anthony| title=Can Color beat the backlash with an improved interface?| url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/04/01/color-iphone-update/| publisher=Venture Beat| accessdate=December 9, 2011| date=April 1, 2011| archive-date=December 29, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229074345/http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/01/color-iphone-update/| url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Not in citation|date=December 2017}} In June 2011, less than three months after the company officially launched, Pham left Color,<ref name="tcjune">{{cite web| last=Arrington| first=Michael|title=Troubled Startup Color Loses Cofounder Peter Pham.|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/06/14/troubled-startup-color-loses-cofounder-peter-pham/ |publisher= TechCrunch|accessdate=December 10, 2011| date=June 14, 2011}}</ref> followed quickly by Chief Product Officer [[DJ Patil]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/11/color-labs-chief-product-officer-dj-patil-resigns/|title=Color Labs Chief Product Officer DJ Patil Resigns|date=11 July 2011 }}</ref>
In the weeks following Color's initial launch, controversy surrounded the startup's $41 million funding and mixed reviews on the product. The initial launch confused users with the application's interface and purpose. Its initial rating in the [[App Store]] was 2 out of 5 stars. In an interview with [[Robert Scoble]] in April 2011, Pham and Nguyen admitted that Color's launch was a wasted opportunity, sharing: "We threw out a network you don’t know how to get good at…We threw a mountain at people."<ref name="interview">{{cite web| last=Scoble| first=Robert| title=The funding and failures of Color, Silicon Valley's $41 million startup (wrapup of the week of hype and hate).| url=http://scobleizer.com/2011/04/01/the-funding-and-failures-of-color-silicon-valleys-41-million-startup-wrapup-of-the-week-of-hype-and-hate/| publisher=Scobleizer| accessdate=December 9, 2011| date=April 1, 2011| archive-date=December 24, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224045318/http://scobleizer.com/2011/04/01/the-funding-and-failures-of-color-silicon-valleys-41-million-startup-wrapup-of-the-week-of-hype-and-hate/| url-status=dead}}</ref>
In October 2012, media reports indicated that Color's board of directors had voted to shut down the company.<ref name="venturebeat101712">{{cite web| last=Bilton| first=Ricardo| title=Color goes dark: Board votes to shut down company, source says| url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/10/17/more-trouble-for-color-shareholders-and-board-vote-to-wind-down-company/| publisher=Venture Beat| accessdate=October 18, 2012| date=October 17, 2012| archive-date=October 18, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018104120/http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/17/more-trouble-for-color-shareholders-and-board-vote-to-wind-down-company/| url-status=dead}}</ref> Other sources denied that the company was shutting down but suggested that it was possibly preparing to be acquired by another company or for another major transformative event.<ref name="venturebeat101712b">{{cite web| last=Bilton| first=Ricardo| title=Even Color doesn't know what's happening at Color| url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/10/17/color-internal-chaos/| publisher=Venture Beat| accessdate=October 18, 2012| date=October 17, 2012| archive-date=October 19, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019034324/http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/17/color-internal-chaos/| url-status=dead}}</ref> Reports included that the staff would be sold to Apple for $2 to $7 million.<ref name="thingsD" /><ref name="bought" /> In November, Color Labs announced that the app would be shut down at the end of 2012.<ref name="shut" />
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221195737/http://www.color.com/|date=21 December 2012|title=Archived version of the official website}}
[[Category:Image-sharing websites]] [[Category:Defunct social networking services]] [[Category:IOS software]] [[Category:Android (operating system) software]] [[Category:Apple Inc. acquisitions]] [[Category:American photography websites]] [[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]] [[Category:Bain Capital companies]]