Blippar
Blippar is a technology company that specialises in augmented reality on mobile apps and Web applications.[3] The company was founded in London[4] and has offices in London and Bangalore. The Blippar app lets users look at real-world objects enhanced with text, music, games and digital graphics through their smartphone camera.[5] It created the first augmented-reality digital ad platform.[4][6] It focused on branded augmented-reality 'experiences' visible through the Blippar app.
Industry | Augmented Reality |
---|---|
Founded | 2011 |
Founders |
|
Defunct | December 2018 |
Headquarters | London |
Number of employees | 200[2] |
Website | blippar |
Company structure
In 2014 the company acquired Layar, another augmented reality company. In July 2017, Layar founders wanted to purchase the company and intellectual property back from Blippar.[7]
On 17 December 2018, Blippar entered administration after investors blocked further funding having "burned through" $120 million in funding up until the time of its collapse.[8] According to the administrators' report, the remaining assets of Blippar (predominantly registered and pending patents and applications and registered trade marks and a small amount of office furniture and IT equipment) were sold to one of its shareholders for £450,000.[9]
In January 2019, former investors bought back assets to relaunch AR Startup.[10] In 2019 it diversified from app-based AR to making AR available on a web platform,[11] and in 2020 announced "the world's first product launch event entirely in AR" for OnePlus Nord.[12]
References
- Lara O'Reilly (June 9, 2016). "AR startup Blippar has launched the visual browser it says could be 'bigger than the internet itself'". Business Insider. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- "Blippar gets £1.5 million in financing from Barclays". Finextra. April 1, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- "'Blipp It': Augmented Reality Comes to Advertising". Bloomberg. March 17, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Parmy Olson (May 8, 2017). "Augmented Reality Is Coming To Banner Ads". Forbes. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Jeff Bercovici (March 2017). "How the Quest to Build a Visual Wikipedia Started in the Slums of New Delhi". Inc. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Paul Sawers (June 7, 2011). "Blippar: an augmented reality app that brings brands to life". The Next Web. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- Ghosh, Shona (2017-07-05). "The cofounders who sold augmented reality app Layar to Blippar want to buy it back". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
- "Blippar sinks into administration after funding dispute between investors". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
- Sawers, Paul. "Blippar to continue as a new augmented reality company after selling IP assets to investment fund" VentureBeat, January 23, 2019
- "Blippar finds life after death as former investor buys assets to relaunch AR startup". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
- "Introducing Webar with Gyro".
- "Blippar delivers world's first product launch entirely in Augmented Reality". Retrieved 22 November 2020.