Blippar Acquires Binocular, Creator of Glasses.com Mobile App

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Oct 29, 2015) - Blippar, the leading image recognition and augmented reality platform, today announced that it has acquired Austin, Texas-based software development firm Binocular. Binocular specializes in providing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences for brands and consumers and has worked with and created apps for leading brands such as Ray-Ban, and is best known for its creation of the Cannes Lions award-winning Glasses.com app. Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.

The acquisition will strengthen Blippar's advanced technology offering to brand clients, particularly in the areas of virtual try-on and virtual makeover, through creating engaging and immersive user experiences. This partnership will add an extra dimension to Blippar's platform by providing brands with a new way of boosting consumer engagement, and the technology will be applied to multiple sectors including beauty, fashion and bridal.

"Acquiring Binocular is a critical milestone in Blippar's development, and highlights that acquisitions will remain a key part of our growth strategy on the heels of our Layar integration last year," said Ambarish Mitra, CEO and Co-Founder of Blippar. "As we continue to transform the way people relate to and connect with the world around them, we're always looking to incorporate the best and brightest minds in the industry into our team to expand our offerings. Binocular has a proven track record of transforming the user experience across industries, and we're excited to add its talented team to help us further our mission of changing the way people access and discover information."

Blippar will fully incorporate the Binocular team into company operations, and will work together to seamlessly develop integrated AR and VR solutions for clients. To enable Blippar to continue adding local, emerging talent to its team of professionals, Binocular will remain based in Austin, a nationally renowned technology hub.

"We've built an all-star roster of entrepreneurs focused on creating great user experiences, and we're excited to dive in and contribute to the continued evolution of Blippar," said Darren Turetzky, CEO of Binocular. "As a market, AR has only scratched the surface of its potential, and we look forward to collaborating with the Blippar team to create new ways for brands to engage with their customers, while also developing new innovations for the converging worlds of AR and VR."

About Blippar
Blippar™ is the world's fastest growing image recognition and augmented reality app. Utilizing proprietary, best-in-class image technologies, Blippar™ enables users to instantaneously pull interactive, informative digital content directly from the environment around them, their favorite publications, brands and objects via their iOS, Android or Windows devices. Since launching in the UK in 2011, Blippar™ has expanded rapidly, partnering with some of the biggest and most exciting media owners and brands in the world -- including Nestlé, Condé Nast, TIME Inc., Procter & Gamble, Kraft, Heinz, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Anheuser Busch, and Jaguar. In May 2015, Blippar was named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 list. To learn more, visit blippar.com.

About Binocular
Binocular is a software development firm that specializes in mobile augmented reality, facial recognition technology, and 3D graphics rendering. Utilizing these technologies, Binocular has created photorealistic virtual try-on experiences for global brands in cosmetics, jewelry, and eyewear, including CaratLane, Ray-Ban, and Glasses.com. Binocular's 3D Virtual Try-On application for Glasses.com was featured by Apple and won awards at Cannes Lions, the Webby Awards, and Communication Arts. Binocular's work has received critical acclaim from publications such as The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Gizmodo, USA Today, and Forbes. To learn more about Binocular, visit binocular.io.