Kai Krause, the graphic artist worshipped by Adobe Photoshop users for his namesake image-effects software, is about to punch up Paul Allen's investment portfolio.
In December, Microsoft co-founder Allen bought a minority share of Santa Monica-based HSC, the software company that publishes Kai's Power Tools, a Photoshop effects add-on program that manipulates digital images in startlingly novel ways. Nearly 1 million copies of Kai's Power Tools have been sold since its release in 1993.
Last year, HSC stunned the design world again with Live Picture. Instead of using millions of pixels, Live Picture uses mathematical equations to display screen images. This greatly speeds up image manipulation.
Allen, who has a fondness for buying pieces of innovative high-tech companies, is hoping that HSC will be as successful with its plans to move into interface design and online services as it has been with selling cool tools to pixel pushers. HSC: +1 (805) 566 6200.
ELECTRIC WORD
Kai's Power Pal
