Google has acquired an Artificial Intelligence startup called Alter, previously known as Facemoji. Alter is an open-source cross-platform Software Development Kit (SDK) that lets users create 3D avatars and use them in their apps and websites.
Launched in 2017, Facemoji was rebranded as Alter. It was also funded by Twitter last year, where it raised almost $3 million in a seed round with support from Play Ventures, Twitter, and Roosh Ventures.
According to an anonymous party, Google has completed an acquisition of Alter for $100 million. The acquisition was supposedly completed two months ago, although no official announcements were made. However, speculations could be made as some Alter executives changed their LinkedIn profiles stating that they are now a part of Google. Nevertheless, these top executives did not acknowledge the acquisition.
A Google spokesperson also confirmed the acquisition to TechCrunch without disclosing financial details. According to an individual familiar with the situation, Google acquired Alter to boost its content offerings and compete with platforms like TikTok. As of now, there have been no official statements nor any comments from Alter’s founders, Robin Raszka and Jon Slimak.
Source: TechCrunch