LLM Reference
Black Forest Labs

Black Forest Labs

Researched 26d ago
Flagship Q/$
Quality
$/M out

7 models across 2 families · Latest: FLUX.2 (2026-01)

Unhinged AI image generation

VisionGermany

Black Forest Labs's portfolio covers 7 active models across 2 non-obsolete families, with task labels spanning vision. Open a model detail page to compare provider routes and sourced benchmarks.

Portfolio context: 1 decision-task tag, 7 active tracked models, latest research stamp 2026-05-09.

Use this portfolio page for

  • Teams evaluating vision across this lab's releases
  • Readers comparing families before locking a flagship SKU
  • 7 tracked SKUs for migration and pricing follow-ups

Do not stop here for

  • Choosing a hosting provider without opening a model page for price ladders

Active models

7

Non-deprecated SKUs linked to this researcher

Active families

2

Non-obsolete families in coverage

Open catalog

0 OSS

0 open-weight (text match)

Decision task tags

1

Mapped to the site-wide task taxonomy

Latest dated release

2026-01-01

FLUX.2

Freshness

2026-05-09

Researched 26d ago

fresh

Release cadence

Showing 5 recent dated ships (full timeline below). Latest spotlight: FLUX.2 (2026-01-01).

Where this lab wins

  • Vision: 7 tracked models with multimodal benchmark coverage.

Flagship quality / price signal

Anchor SKU: FLUX.1 [schnell] (best sourced coding Q/$ in this portfolio).

Quality / dollar unavailable for this anchor — missing benchmark coverage and/or output token price on the cheapest ladder route (open the model detail after pricing lands).

Black Forest Labs is a German AI research lab founded in 2024. Unhinged AI image generation. Black Forest Labs ships 2 model families totaling 7 models, with the most recent release FLUX.2 in 2026-01. Notable families include FLUX.2 and FLUX.1. Use it as a stable reference for lab background, release coverage, and follow-up model pages as they are added. Researchers and evaluators. View official API endpoints, benchmark performance, and coding/agent fit for every Black Forest Labs model.

About

Black Forest Labs, founded in 2024, is a pioneering force in the field of generative AI, based in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. The company focuses on advancing state-of-the-art generative deep learning models, particularly in media such as images and videos. Their mission is centered on harnessing the creative and innovative potential of generative AI, aiming to make these sophisticated models accessible for a variety of applications and collaborations. This vision underscores the importance they place on generative AI as a cornerstone for future technological advancements. The team at Black Forest Labs consists of leading AI researchers and engineers who bring a wealth of experience and achievement in foundational generative AI models. They boast a rich history of contributions to renowned models like VQGAN, Latent Diffusion, and Stable Diffusion, including its advanced versions like Stable Diffusion XL and Stable Video Diffusion. Their expertise also spans innovative technologies such as Rectified Flow Transformers and Adversarial Diffusion Distillation. This robust background highlights their capability to push boundaries in the highly competitive landscape of generative AI. Central to Black Forest Labs' offerings is their flagship FLUX.1 suite of text-to-image models, which showcases their technical prowess. This suite includes three unique variants: FLUX.1 \[pro\], designed for high-performance image generation; FLUX.1 \[dev\], provided as an open-weight model for non-commercial usage; and FLUX.1 \[schnell\], optimized for personal and local development. These models leverage a hybrid architecture of rectified flow transformers and parallel diffusion transformer blocks, equipped with 12 billion parameters. Through innovative techniques like flow matching and rotary positional embeddings, FLUX.1 models have demonstrated superior performance and benchmarking results, surpassing notable models such as Midjourney v6.0 and DALL-E 3 (HD) in visual quality and prompt accuracy. The company's financial strategy has also been impressive, having secured a Series Seed funding of $31 million led by Andreessen Horowitz, with contributions from several high-profile angel investors. This funding not only highlights investor confidence in their capabilities but also positions them for further growth. Additionally, there are speculative reports of another funding round potentially raising $100 million at a $1 billion valuation, signifying the growing market confidence in their innovative approach and technological breakthroughs. Black Forest Labs' technologies have already found practical application through partnerships with major corporations. For example, their FLUX.1 model is integral to the image generation features of xAI's Grok chatbot. Furthermore, the company is actively expanding its research into state-of-the-art text-to-video systems, marking a strategic move towards video content generation. Their strong commitment to open-source initiatives, coupled with their talented team and significant funding, cements Black Forest Labs' reputation as a formidable entity in the dynamic field of generative AI.

Featured models

ModelReleasedContextInput price ($/1M)Output price ($/1M)License
FLUX.22026-01-01---Proprietary
FLUX.2+2025-11-25---Proprietary
FLUX.1 Kontext [pro]2025-05-01---Proprietary

Model families

Recent releases

  1. FLUX.2- 2026-01-01
  2. FLUX.2+- 2025-11-25
  3. FLUX.1 Kontext [pro]- 2025-05-01
  4. FLUX.1.1 [pro] Ultra- 2024-11-01
  5. FLUX.1.1 [pro]- 2024-10-01

FAQ

Who founded Black Forest Labs and when?

Black Forest Labs was founded in 2024 and is associated with Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

What models has Black Forest Labs released?

Black Forest Labs ships 7 models across 2 families: FLUX.2 and FLUX.1.

Is Black Forest Labs's technology open source?

Black Forest Labs's models are proprietary.

Where is Black Forest Labs headquartered?

Black Forest Labs is headquartered in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.

What is Black Forest Labs known for?

Unhinged AI image generation. Its most prominent tracked family is FLUX.2.

How can I access Black Forest Labs's models?

Black Forest Labs's models are available via Cloudflare Workers AI, Microsoft Foundry, Prodia, and Vercel AI Gateway.

Explore related pages

Last reviewed: 2026-05-09. Data sourced from public lab announcements and provider documentation.