Apogee acquired by Dirk Ulrich and his Rockforce Tech Holding | November 15, 2025

Apogee, a renowned professional and prosumer audio technology company, has been acquired by Dirk Ulrich and his Rockforce Tech Holding.

Dirk Ulrich is one of the leading figures in the music tech (MI) industry. He is particularly known for founding companies like Brainworx and Plugin Alliance. In 2022, these companies merged with Native Instruments.

Two years later, Dirk Ulrich left and embarked on a new path. Instead of retiring, he founded Rockforce Tech Holding. This was followed in July 2025 by the acquisition of Manley Laboratories (Labs), a renowned American manufacturer of professional and high-end audio gear. The shopping spree continues.



Today, another significant hand change. Rockforce Tech Holding has today announced the acquisition of Apogee Electronics, another renowned US-based manufacturer of pro audio gear, including audio interfaces, microphones, software (plugins), and more.

Here is the press release

Press Release: Apogee Acquired By Dirk Ulrich’s Rockforce Tech Holding
Apogee Electronics, a leader in professional and prosumer audio technology for 40 years, announced today that it has been acquired by Rockforce Tech Holding Inc., led by industry veteran Dirk Ulrich and parent company of Manley Labs.

The acquisition unites two highly respected audio brands with complementary strengths, creating a stronger, broader platform for innovation, engineering, and global market growth.

Founded in 1985 by Betty Bennett and Bruce Jackson, Apogee has been at the forefront of digital audio conversion, recording interfaces, and creative tools trusted by top artists, producers, engineers, and creators worldwide. With products used across music, broadcast, film, and immersive audio, Apogee has built a legacy of excellence, creativity, and uncompromising sound quality.

“We’ve reached an exciting moment in Apogee’s evolution,” said Betty Bennett, Co-Founder and CEO of Apogee Electronics. “To continue growing in today’s rapidly shifting audio landscape, Apogee needs expanded resources, new energy, and a broader operational foundation. Dirk brings all of that.

His experience leading Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, and now Manley Labs, makes him uniquely equipped to guide Apogee into its next chapter. I’m profoundly proud of what our team has built, and I’m confident this partnership will elevate both companies in meaningful ways.”



Bob Clearmountain, Grammy- and Emmy-winning mixer, producer, and developer of Apogee’s flagship plugins, expressed his support for the transition:


“Apogee has been a huge part of my professional life for decades. I’ve seen firsthand the care, integrity, and innovation that went into every product we developed. Dirk understands the importance of that legacy, and I’m excited to see Apogee and Manley combine their strengths. This partnership creates new possibilities for artists, producers, and engineers everywhere—and I’m proud to see Apogee carried forward with that vision.”
“Apogee has an extraordinary heritage and an incredibly loyal user base,” said Dirk Ulrich, CEO of Rockforce Tech Holding Inc. “


By bringing Apogee and Manley together, we are creating a powerful ecosystem of high-end audio tools that will benefit professionals, creators, and music makers around the world. Whether it’s analog or digital, it’s all about the sound. I’m honored to continue the legacy that Betty, Bob and the Apogee team have built.”


Under the new structure, Apogee will join forces with Manley Labs, strengthening both companies’ engineering capability, global reach, and product development potential.


Customers can expect continued support for Apogee’s existing hardware and software products, along with future releases that leverage the combined technical expertise and market presence of both organizations.


Apogee Electronics will continue operating from its Santa Monica, California headquarters. Both companies emphasized a shared commitment to product excellence, customer service, and supporting the creative community.


First Impression
And the music tech company wheel is turning again. I’m curious to see if Dirk Ulrich and his Rockforce Tech Holding will acquire any more companies in the near future. It will be interesting to see how Apogee develops under the new leadership.

I wish all the best to those involved. I will follow it with great interest.

More information here: Apogee

Source: https://synthanatomy.com/2025/11/apogee-acquired-by-dirk-ulrich-s-rockforce-tech-holding.html

 

Fingers crossed that Manley doesn't screw with the Apogee price tags

 

Don‘t worry. He‘s German, like Uli, so prices will be behringerized and there will be monthly vouchers.

 

I hope for extremely high quality analog gear for processing audio (Manley) combined with digital features (Apogee)

 

it's not like they will move all manufacturing to China...otherwise they will have to change all of the Assembled in USA statements to, oh wait:

Spoiler

What the Recent Apogee Import Data Shows (from Panjiva)

1. Number of Shipments
   • Apogee Electronics Corporation has 143 U.S. import shipments listed. Panjiva
     
     
   • These cover a variety of “electrical machinery / sound equipment” HS (Harmonized System) codes, which is consistent with audio gear. Panjiva
2. Origins & Weight
   • One 2024 shipment (Oct 20) is 77 kg from Hong Kong → Long Beach, CA. Panjiva
     
     
   • Another 2024 shipment (Jun 16) lists Ryder Electronics (Xinfeng) Ltd. as the sender. Panjiva
     
     
   • The presence of a supplier like “Ryder Electronics (Xinfeng)” strongly implies some components or subassemblies originate in Asia, likely China.
3. Commodity Codes
   • According to Panjiva, one of the top HS codes associated with Apogee is HS 85, which is “sound recorders and reproducers; parts thereof.” Panjiva
     
     
   • That’s a broad category — it doesn’t necessarily mean fully finished Apogee units, but could include subassemblies or modules.

• Number of Shipments
  
  • Apogee Electronics Corp has 142 U.S. import shipments listed on Panjiva. Panjiva+1
    
    
  • That’s a non-trivial number, implying consistent import activity. Panjiva
    

• Origins
  
  • Some of the shipments originate from Hong Kong. Panjiva
    
    
  • For example, a bill of lading from 2024‑06‑16 shows 1,605 kg from Hong Kong to Long Beach, CA. Panjiva
    
    
  • Another from 2024‑10‑20 is only 77 kg from Hong Kong. Panjiva
    

• Supplier Names
  
  • One supplier listed is Ryder Electronics (Xinfeng) Ltd., which sounds like an electronics manufacturer / distributor in Asia. Panjiva
    
    
  • “Apogee Electronics Ltd.” is also listed as a shipper for some shipments. Panjiva
    

• Import Genius Data
  
  • According to ImportGenius (another trade‑data company), Apogee has 168 recorded shipments (over time) to the U.S. Import Genius
    
    
  • One specific ImportGenius entry: a “Dock3600” digital audio processor as a finished product being shipped in a container.
    

 

Apogee and Manley are in good hands i believe, Dirk is open minded and loves innovation, i remember few years ago i posted on PA Facebook group and he personally answered in a comment, he listens unlike many others, at least that's what i felt, look at PA how it became when he left ! A total joke, reusing old stuff and rebranding as a new "game changer" plugin, just total bs, but this step towards Hardware! Well we'll see...

 

I like him. He managed to make the whole industry fall prices because he was delivering quality stuff for pretty cheap. No dongles, no BS. And his dev team is decent as well.