Google is buying an AI avatar startup called Alter. The company’s tech stack is designed to help developers integrate an avatar system into their applications. The company raised $3 million last year from Play Ventures, Twitter, and Roosh Ventures. Its aim was to provide developers with a real-time 3D avatar system that could work with facial motion capture. This technology would allow developers to create 3D avatars similar to those in the TikTok application.
Alter, which was previously known as Facemoji, was acquired by Google for $100 million. The deal was completed two months ago, but the companies have not yet publicly disclosed the terms of the deal. The company’s team of developers helped creators and brands build their own avatars, and Google plans to incorporate its technology into its own content offering.
The startup’s technology can also be used for gaming and other social media applications. Alter, which had employees from various companies, made AI avatars for social media platforms. The company competed with TikTok and other apps that use AI avatars. The acquisition was announced just two months ago, but the company’s executives updated their LinkedIn profiles without acknowledging the deal.
Alter’s technology, originally called Facemoji, was originally developed as a plug-and-play technology that allowed developers to add avatar systems to their applications. The company rebranded its software and services as Alter and is now a subsidiary of Google. It is currently rolling out custom emoji to its chat app.