📰 Native Instruments is in preliminary insolvency proceedings

📢 [03/19] An update from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments

Uh oh… 😐

According to an article by Create Digital Music (CDM), Native Instruments is currently undergoing preliminary insolvency proceedings:

Native Instruments GmbH is in preliminary insolvency | CDM

To access and read insolvency documents:

Go to https://neu.insolvenzbekanntmachungen.de/ap/suche.jsf and enter *Native Instruments* into the "Firma/Nachname" field, then hit the 'Suchen' button at the bottom. In the "Ergebnisliste", click on the magnifying glass icon to open the respective document.

(Note: Language of the site and docs in German only.)

💡 What this means

A provisional insolvency administrator, Prof. Dr. Torsten Martini, has been appointed. His role is to secure assets, examine the books, and determine whether the company's finances can support either a restructuring or an orderly insolvency process.
The company can no longer freely dispose of assets or make significant financial decisions without approval from said administrator.
Creditors are temporarily prevented from enforcing claims, and incoming funds are placed under the administrator's supervision. The aim is to prevent a rapid deterioration of the company's financial position while possible options are evaluated.
Current management stays in place, but its authority is now restricted.
Development pace, support, and long-term roadmaps are now in uncertainty.

❌ What this doesn't mean

The company has ceased trading, nor does it automatically trigger liquidation.
Immediate job losses (German insolvency law typically provides short-term protections for employees).
Products and licenses suddenly stop working.

(Snippets taken from Production Expert)

Articles / Timeline of events

Date	News
12-04-2025	The European Commission clears acquisition of Native Instruments Group by Bridgepoint and Bain Capital Credit (Unconfirmed: Deal apparently fell through and the insolvency is the result of that.)
01-27-2026	Native Instruments GmbH is in preliminary insolvency \| CDM
01-28-2026	Plugin Alliance says it is "business as usual" \| CDM
01-29-2026	Statement from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments (Also available on ni-japan.jp)
03-19-2026	An update from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments (Also available on ni-japan.jp)

I will continuously update this post as we learn more.

As per Jeremy_NI's post:

Any further updates will be shared through our official channels when appropriate.

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Comments

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/255372#Comment_255372

You are very welcome 🙂

I looked into the 'Legal' but I could not find any information specific to not needing internet after activation other than for subscription based installations - which needs internet once per subscription period. But of course I could have missed it. There are links to the pages here. Also then it is possible that whatever Jojo123 has seen is part of some EULA for an app (e.g. N.A.) but I have not looked into that yet….

But as written earlier then as far as I know then after activation then bundle owners do not need internet after installation…

Vocalpoint

Here is an official statement "from the top"…

Statement from Nick Williams, CEO of Native Instruments – Native Instruments Blog

Temper your expectations however - there is not much Nick can really get into.

Sunborn

OK. You all take a big breath and……

1- Do not panic, there is absolutely no reason for a customer to be in panic.
2- Read the analysis below carefully. I don't like to speculate or even leave my education/information to others, so i searched on my own, with the precious help of A.I. of course. However, every source was carefully double-checked manually. Those are facts, not speculations.

So, Native Instruments GmbH has officially entered preliminary insolvency proceedings in Germany. While the news sounds alarming, this is a specific legal stage in German law aimed at restructuring rather than closure. Here is a breakdown of what is happening and what it means for you.

The Current Situation

Official Filing: On January 27, 2026, court documents from Berlin confirmed that Native Instruments filed for preliminary insolvency.
Restructuring Administrator: The court appointed Prof. Dr. Torsten Martini as the preliminary administrator. His job is to stabilize the company, assess its assets, and determine if it can be saved through a sale or a restructuring plan.
The Debt Factor: Reports suggest the insolvency stems from massive debt (reportedly around £250 million, but this can be a false report) accrued during years of aggressive expansion and acquisitions (like iZotope and Plugin Alliance) under private equity ownership.

What This Means for Users?

If you own Native Instruments hardware or software, here is the immediate impact:

Business as Usual (for now): Preliminary insolvency is designed to keep the lights on. Product activations, support, and downloads are still operational!
Plugin Alliance & iZotope: In a separate statement, Plugin Alliance clarified that they are not part of the insolvency filing and continue to operate normally.
Software Licenses: Your licenses are still valid. The goal of an administrator is typically to find a buyer for "valuable app" like Kontakt. Even in the worst-case scenario, it is highly likely a third party would acquire these assets to keep them running, as they are industry standards and not some random plugins!

What’s Next?

The preliminary phase usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks. During this time, the administrator will look for a buyer. Names like InMusic (who own Akai and Moog) or even Apple are often floated as potential suitors, though nothing is confirmed. And be sure, that nothing will be confirmed until it is done. As with any other company, this is an internal affair.

…meanwhile, i suggest to us all to deal with something else… perhaps go fishing or climb a mountain! 😉

Jeremy_NI

Hey everyone, sorry for the radio silence, we're still here, Nick William, our CEO has issued a statement on our blog: https://blog.native-instruments.com/statement-from-nick-williams-ceo-of-native-instruments/

"Please rest assured that business continues as usual at Native Instruments, iZotope, Plugin Alliance and Brainworx. Our hardware and software products remain on sale and available for download and activation. Our passionate and dedicated teams are here and supporting customers as normal. In product and engineering, we are continuing to develop and launch new products and features

We are working diligently and responsibly to secure a healthy, financially sustainable future for Native Instruments. As you may have seen, Native Instruments GmbH has entered a restructuring process in Germany, as have 3 of our German non-operating holding companies. In legal terms, we have filed applications to open pre-insolvency proceedings for those companies.

We are focused on providing continuity for creators, customers, and partners. We’ll continue to share updates as we have them."

Native Instruments continues to operate. Products, downloads, subscriptions, and customer support remain available. You can see our Premium Tube Series updates from yesterday, there's a Traktor Pro 4.4.2 update dropping soon, some new products are coming.

Any further updates will be shared through our official channels when appropriate.

Vincentbon83200

@Sunborn But if, for example, Apple acquires Native Instruments, only the Mac version will be supported, not the Windows version...

PoorFellow

Sort of the AT customers statement that I expected to see and not really anything about the state of business other than confirming what we already knows.

But it is at least the kind of business as usual for the time being statement that was to be expected….

Kapza Marko

Make rekordbox compatible (plug & play) with traktor.
Integrate kontact or maschine with traktor.
Example with S4 MK3: mix with channels a and b, F1 on channel c, and MIDI keyboard on channel d with the Dopamine VST.
Develop an all-in-one solution with the aforementioned features and F1 functions, but without discarding the turntable.

Bonus track: Develop official NI mappings for Virtual DJ and Serato.

The ideas I propose are based on my experiences as a Native Instruments salesperson and as a DJ.

Vincentbon83200

@Sunborn Although Apple has the ability to acquire Native Instruments, it's foreseeable that such an acquisition would present challenges, particularly regarding update management, which would likely prioritize the Apple ecosystem over Windows. This could negatively impact software compatibility, hindering harmonious coexistence, especially since Apple controls the Mac operating system. Therefore, it would be preferable for Native Instruments to remain an independent entity rather than acquiring a company with its own proprietary operating system… :/

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/255383#Comment_255383

Absolutely agree! I hate Apple anyway… ;-)

raphaël_

i wonder who would buy NI in its current shape. almost every departement is behind the competition and the whole product palette is just dusty.

sure, kontakt is a standard, massive still amazing and maschine has the best workflow of all the grooveboxes imo. but i have zero expectations/hope for those products. …not since yesterday, since years!

i cant believe that a possible buyer would see much hope in NI tbh…

the amount of work you'd have to invest to get things in shape seems just undoable.

im not in panic because of the many products i have from them, but i just dont see any future for NI.

Vincentbon83200

@Sunborn So, it's possible that Apple will create a "Windows" support, but it won't be maintained like Native Instruments currently does; it will be much more oriented towards Mac OS support in terms of updates and future products that "Native Instruments acquired by Apple" might offer.

Vincentbon83200

@raphaël_ I largely agree with you on that point. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I believe the problem isn't even a matter of "goodwill" or a few unfortunate strategic decisions, but rather the absolutely enormous investment required to bring Native Instruments up to speed.

We're talking millions, even tens of millions of euros, simply to modernize what already exists: technical debt accumulated over years, aging software architectures, persistently lagging macOS/Windows integration, a fragmented ecosystem, and a hardware range that, while still usable and appreciated, clearly shows its age compared to what Ableton, Akai, Arturia, or even Apple offer today.

As you rightly point out, Kontakt remains a virtually indispensable benchmark, and Maschine still has a unique and very well-designed workflow. But these are products that are largely resting on their laurels. Real innovation has been minimal for years, and above all, there's no longer any clear vision for the future. These are excellent tools… frozen in time.

From a potential buyer's perspective, this is where it becomes really difficult to justify. Investing in NI today isn't about buying a gem to polish; it's about taking over a company that would require a near-complete reboot: redesigning key products, repositioning in the market, regaining the trust of long-time users, not to mention the competition, which hasn't stopped moving forward at all.

Like you, I'm not particularly worried about the products I already own; they'll continue to work. But honestly, when you look at the situation objectively, I have a very hard time seeing which player would have the financial resources, the patience, and the vision necessary to give Native Instruments a real future. Without massive investment and a radically new strategy, I struggle to imagine anything other than a slow decline... :/

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/255388#Comment_255388

There is zero chance. Apple will never prop up their main competitor - ever.

Remember exactly who we are talking about here.

Tom Collins

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/255383#Comment_255383

Apple acquiring NI would be an absolute nightmare because they would make any IP value add to Logic. Goodbye VST and Audio Units. That's what happened to Alchemy that became a stock synth in Logic. Please do not wish for this….

MrFresh

So, even with product serial numbers, all you need to do is add the serial number within NA if you have to reinstall, correct? Are you saying that NA has to call back to the server to complete the installation? If so, if NI's activation servers disappear, that's an issue or would it only be an issue to get product updates to your pre-installed products?

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