Ableton was founded in Berlin, Germany, in 1999 by Robert Henke from Monolake, and software engineers Gerhard Behles and Bernd Roggendorf. The trio envisioned computer software that would be able to be interacted with or 'played' like a physical instrument.
The company released Ableton Live in 2001, a music production suite bursting with colour and integration options. Ableton Live was not only a fully-fledged digital audio workstation (DAW), but a performance tool able to be mapped to external controllers. Ableton took this concept of adaptability further in 2009 when, in collaboration with Cycling '74, they announced Max for Live. Max for Live gives Ableton Live users the ability to create their own digital patches of Ableton Live's features, essentially turning the software into a giant modular synthesiser.
Couple this with Ableton's integrated Push controller, originally released in 2013, and Ableton Live software has become a shining example of the power and playability of computer music. It's no wonder the software has been adopted by such a diverse range of producers as Daft Punk, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Mogwai, Devin Townsend, Soulwax, and Skrillex.