iPad and Mac accessories specialist Brydge is wound up. This is reported by the Apple blog 9to5Mac. The company, best known for its high-quality tablet keyboards and owned by hub specialists Henge Docks, already has deactivated his website. Only a logo can be seen there and no further content. Supposedly should also nor customer orders and funds to employees pending, writes 9to5Mac. Brydge’s social media accounts have also gone silent.
Company mismanaged – also big competition
In the beginning, Brydge was almost alone with his products. The idea: Apple’s iPad tablet should become a compact notebook with keyboards of Apple-like quality. Trackpads were added later after Apple integrated mouse controls for iPadOS. But in this area, Brydge had to have the butter taken off his bread: Apple itself made the iPad more and more into a desktop-like OS and finally offered its own Magic Keyboard with trackpad. At the same time, the group cooperated with the accessory giant Logi, which is allowed to sell “official” keyboards for the iPad.
Brydge, on the other hand, initially had the problem that the trackpad functions of their own products were worse than those of Apple – because there was no API support. Brydge finally got it, but according to 9to5Mac, had to implement it in a very short time. Another problem is said to have been that Brydge’s devices suffered from quality problems. Up to 50 percent of all Max+ models are said to have been returned in 2021.
Takeover talks with Targus and Razer?
In the meantime, Brydge is said to have held talks with other companies that showed an interest in a takeover. According to the report, these were Razer and Targus. Talks began at the end of 2022 with the Targus Group, which includes the accessory supplier Hyper, which is very well known to Apple users. There were also rumors of a possible takeover by Apple manufacturer Foxconn. None of the takeover plans were successful.
Now there is only a short statement from Brydge. According to this, both trademark rights and the intellectual property of the company were “acquired by a third party in the context of a foreclosure”. The case was initiated by a lender. It is not yet clear who bought the Brydge rights. Outstanding ProDock pre-orders are said to be delivered, and they are working on paying employees.
(bsc)
