The maker of the popular AR title ‘Pokemon Go’ and the revolutionary Lightship AR platform, Niantic, has acquired the web-based AR development platform 8th Wall.
8th Wall’s WebAR technology enables businesses and developers to create and launch web-based AR experiences for smartphones that people can access without an accompanying app. The technology makes it much easier for brands to curate AR experiences for their audiences.
“8th Wall has been on a mission to bring augmented reality to everyone. We have been doing this by equipping developers, brands, and agencies with a complete set of tools to create web-based augmented reality experiences for mobile devices – no app required,” explained Erik Murphy-Chutorian, Chief Executive and founder of 8th Wall.
He further stated how Niantic could propel this mission by helping a broader set of developers with tools to build more engaging and interactive AR experiences.
8th Wall and its WebAR platform have been on a tremendous upward trajectory since 2018, powering over 50,000 AR experiences created by several developers. Leading global brands, such as Microsoft, Porsche, Heineken, General Mills, Universal Pictures, Verizon, Pepsi, Nike, Netflix, Lego, Dior, and Westfield, have deployed the company’s technology.
Niantic intends to integrate 8th Wall’s WebAR technology with its Lightship platform. The pioneering developer toolset provides developers with an Augmented Reality Developer Kit to create imaginative and immersive AR applications. The ARDK comprises the tools that form the foundation for Niantic’s games ‘Ingress’ and ‘Pokemon Go.’
“With our Lightship platform, launched globally in November last year, we’re offering all developers the world’s largest immersive canvas to bring their creations to life on a massive scale,” said Brian McClendon, Niantic’s Senior Vice President of Engineering, Mapping and AR.
8th Wall is the largest acquisition for Niantic to date that is absolutely in sync with the company’s vision for Lightship. The WebAR technology will be a valuable addition to the Lightship developer platform tools.
8th Wall will continue to function as a standalone offering after the acquisition. The 8th Wall team will be absorbed into Niantic’s AR engineering organization structure and will continue working on future Lightship platform products.
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