Picture this: Super support helps bring photo software to life

If a picture is worth a thousand words, Philippe Leblanc has quite the story to tell. The CEO of Flixel Photos Inc., who started his company in 2011, was on the verge of bankruptcy when Tyra Banks, supermodel and producer of America’s Next Top Model, picked his cinemagraph software to promote her show.

The cinemagraph—which integrates subtle, repeated motion in a still image—is a new medium, ideal for the digital age. Leblanc’s idea was to make the software affordable and easy to use so everyone could make “moving pictures.” Banks was so impressed that she invested in the company.

• Changing the face of Facebook
• First ever cinemagraph TV ads released
• CIX Top 20 - Canadian Innovation Exchange 2014 Most Innovative Companies

Flixel received FedDev Ontario funding through the Investing in Business Innovation initiative at a critical time in the company’s lifecycle, which helped LeBlanc complete the development of his cinemagraph software. “We are very grateful for this program,” says LeBlanc. “I don’t believe Flixel would exist today without it.”

Today, Flixel’s pioneering technology is being used by thousands of creatives around the world for Fortune 500 ads, popular TV shows—even Facebook.

Flixel has been recognized for its far-reaching achievement, winning the prestigious Apple Design Award, a milestone LeBlanc never could have dreamed of in his early days. Importantly, Flixel remains a successful contributor to the southern Ontario economy and an icon in the Toronto start-up community. With over 90 percent of its revenue coming from outside Canada, it is all reinvested back here at home.