About Colibri

A European Startup
From Ludwigsburg

Born from the intersection of film production and AI research – building standalone desktop software and mobile companion apps that embody the EU's vision of digital sovereignty, data protection, and technological independence.

Meet the Founder

Jonas Trottnow

Founder

R&D Engineer AI at the Carl Laemmle Institut (CLI), Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
B.Sc. Media & Computer Science (University of Tübingen)
M.Sc. Visual Computing (Saarland University)
Grew up in a documentary filmmaking family. Actively involved in documentary productions as camera operator, editor and in post-production to this day
R&D experience in EU-funded projects (Max-R, SAUCE, Dreamspace) and the regional KI-Lab Animation & VFX
Based in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Vision

AI That Respects Your Privacy

We believe AI should empower people without requiring them to surrender their data. In a world where data protection is not just a legal requirement but a fundamental right, Colibri proves that powerful media intelligence can run entirely on your own hardware – fully GDPR-compliant, no cloud needed, no compromises. Your media stays yours. Colibri never generates or alters content, and your data is never used for training.

Mission

Democratize Media Management

Professional media management tools often lock you into cloud ecosystems and recurring subscriptions. We're building an alternative that's powerful, private and accessible – for individuals, teams and organizations alike. No IT department or dedicated server infrastructure required.

Partnership

In Cooperation with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

Colibri is developed in close cooperation with the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, one of the world's leading film schools. This partnership ensures that the product is deeply informed by real-world media workflows – from filmmaking and journalism to photography and archival work – see use cases. The Filmakademie provides a rich testing environment and domain expertise from working media professionals.

Why Local

More Than Just Privacy

Running AI on your own hardware isn't just about data protection – it's about independence, sustainability and cost control.

Digital Sovereignty

No dependency on foreign cloud infrastructure. Data and processing stay on your own device, in your own jurisdiction.

Climate-Friendly

No massive data centers running 24/7. Local processing only uses energy when you actually need analysis.

Independent & Permanent

What runs locally still works in 10 years. No provider can discontinue the service, raise prices or change terms.

Zero Recurring Costs

Cloud AI charges per request – that adds up fast. Local models run unlimited without paying per request.

Local AI is not just more secure – it's more independent, more sustainable, and cheaper in the long run.

Opportunity

Why Now

Three converging pillars make local AI media management not just possible, but necessary.

Local AI Revolution

Small, efficient models now rival cloud APIs for specific tasks. New models emerge weekly – Colibri's modular architecture benefits directly.

Privacy Regulation

GDPR, AI Act, data sovereignty requirements – organizations increasingly need solutions that keep data on-premises. Local AI is the answer.

Cloud Cost Fatigue

Cloud AI subscriptions are expensive and unpredictable. A one-time local solution without recurring costs is a sustainable alternative at every scale.

Roadmap

Where We're Headed

2024

Idea & Research

Market analysis, architecture design, AI model evaluation

Early 2025

Prototype

Core features, AI integration, first internal tests

Early 2026

MVP / Beta

Full feature set on macOS, first external users and feedback

Mid 2026

Public Launch

Windows and Linux support, public beta release

Late 2026

Mobile App

iOS and Android companion app

2027

NLE Integration

Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve plugins

Grow with Us

Investment & Partnerships

Colibri is at an exciting stage – a working product, validated demand from media professionals, and a clear path to market. We are actively looking for strategic investors and partners who share our vision of private, local AI for media management.

Growing Market

The demand for private, on-device AI tools is accelerating – driven by GDPR, the EU AI Act, data sovereignty requirements, and rising cloud costs. Colibri is positioned at this intersection.

What We're Looking For

Strategic investors who understand the creative industries and want to support media technology and AI. Partners who can open doors to new markets, distribution channels or institutional users.

Get in Touch

Interested in Colibri?

Whether you're a potential user, investor, partner or just curious – we'd love to hear from you.

A European StartupFrom Ludwigsburg