Niantic has acquired WebAR development platform 8th Wall, for an undisclosed amount, to empower developers in creating a real-world metaverse with AR.
By joining Niantic, 8th Wall will offer tools enabling the building of interactive AR experiences whilst harnessing the freedom and power seen on the web.
While the team will join the Niantic AR engineering organisation, the 8th Wall platform is to remain a standalone offering. Expanding the reach of Niantic Lightship tools and technology is one part of 8th Wall’s goal.
Dedicated to AR development
“We are thrilled to become part of the Niantic family as we join an incredible team dedicated to the future of AR made for the real world,” 8th Wall CEO and founder Erik Murphy-Chutorian.
“Together, we will enable developers to create AR experiences that encourage people to connect, discover new places and explore the world around them. Our mission of making the web a powerful place for augmented reality has never been stronger. The products and services you depend on will continue to evolve.”
8th Wall’s WebAR development platform has been used to create more than 50,000 web apps since 2019 and supports billions of devices globally. It has seen use by brands such as Pepsi, Microsoft, Nike, Porsche, Netflix, and Verizon.
Murphy-Chutorian added: “There is so much potential for web-based augmented reality and we will continue to unlock this through the lens of Niantic’s real-world AR universe. We are looking forward to working with Niantic to create the best planet-scale platform technologies to foster even more magical shared experiences.”
This article was first published on PocketGamer.biz.
