Private company

Ulead Systems

Logo: Corel Corporation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Software company

Ulead Systems (Chinese: 友立資訊; Chinese: iú-li̍p-chu-sìn; pinyin: Yǒulì Zīxùn) was a Taiwanese computer software company headquartered in the Neihu District of Taipei, Taiwan. The company was well-known for developing popular multimedia software, including VideoStudio. Following a series of corporate acquisitions, its product lines and development teams were integrated into Corel, where they remain part of Corel's creativity software portfolio.2 It was founded by Way-Zen Chen.1 It ceased to exist in 2006.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Aug 5, 1989Founded1
  • Industrysoftware industry1
  • HeadquartersTaipei1
  • Founded inTaipei1
  • Websitewww.ulead.com
  • Legal formjoint-stock company1

Ulead Systems (Chinese: 友立資訊; Chinese: iú-li̍p-chu-sìn; pinyin: Yǒulì Zīxùn) was a Taiwanese computer software company headquartered in the Neihu District of Taipei, Taiwan. The company was well-known for developing popular multimedia software, including VideoStudio. Following a series of corporate acquisitions, its product lines and development teams were integrated into Corel, where they remain part of Corel's creativity software portfolio.2

Corporate structure

Ulead Systems is part of a group headed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. 187 entities, 32 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by Way-Zen Chen on Aug 5, 1989, in Taipei.1

Ulead was founded on 5 August 1989 by Lotus Chen, Lewis Liaw and Way-Zen Chen. They founded Ulead with the support of Microtek after leaving Taiwan's Institute for Information Industry in order to further develop and commercialize their first true color image editing software, PhotoStyler, on the Windows platform.

Ulead sold PhotoStyler through Aldus Corporation as a software developer. However, Aldus merged into Adobe Systems in 1994 and PhotoStyler is no longer available. Ulead then continued to develop PhotoImpact 3 as its flagship image editor and sell PhotoImpact by itself.

Ulead Systems then extended its development of multimedia software in various areas such as video editing, media management, web utility, DVD authoring and digital home.

On 17 September 2001, Ulead was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange as 2487.TW.

On 13 April 2005, InterVideo acquired Ulead Systems for approximately $68 million. On 9 July 2006, InterVideo announced its merger with Ulead to be completed on 28 December 2006.

On 28 August 2006, Corel announced that it would acquire InterVideo for about $196 million.

On 24 October 2006, Ulead was unlisted on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

On 12 December 2006, Corel announced the acquisition of InterVideo and Ulead had been completed.

From Wikipedia’s article on Ulead Systems, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

Who has led Ulead Systems, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

  • software

Listed on Wikidata.1

Following the acquisition by Corel, most of Ulead's software products were phased out or discontinued, and currently, only VideoStudio remains on the market.

Current Products

VideoStudio – Active consumer-tier video editing software (originally Ulead VideoStudio).

Legacy Products

MediaStudio Pro / VideoGraphics Lab – Professional video editing and effects software.

VideoTool Box

Read the full text

COOL 3D, COOL 3D Production Studio – 3D text and motion graphics animation software.

DVD / Disc Authoring

Burn.Now – Disc-burning utility integrated into later Ulead software suites.

DVD MovieFactory – Consumer DVD and Blu-ray authoring software.

DVD PictureShow

DVD WorkShop – Professional-level DVD authoring software.

Image / Graphics

COOL 360 – Panoramic image stitching software.

PhotoImpact – Flagship raster graphics and image editing editor, discontinued after version X3.

IPhoto Plus

Photo Explorer

Photo Express

Pick-A-Photo

My Scrapbook

Web Utility

GIF Animator – Web-focused GIF animation software. (Official Features PDF)

GIF-X.Plug-in

Menu.Applet

SmartSaver Pro

Pocket Software

Pocket SlideShow

Pocket DV Show

Digital home

InstaMedia

From Wikipedia’s article on Ulead Systems, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Oct 24, 2006Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Aug 5, 1989Founded Founded in Taipei1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4