July 22, 2020 – Poplar, a provider of a 3D and AR creative platform, has today announced the acquisition of AR startup Svrf, Inc. Poplar stated that the acquisition will further enable it to provide AR campaigns to its clients, across the beauty (L’Oréal), retail (Speedo), entertainment (NBC Universal) and FMCG (Nestlé) sectors, by utilising Svrf’s technologies.
Svrf provided a platform for users to create, share and distribute over 31 million AR experiences per month. Following the acquisition, Poplar will integrate tools from Svrf into its own platform, including a 3D asset library, 3D asset conversion pipeline, searchable content API, CMS to manage assets, and app-based and WebAR prototyping tools.
Poplar anticipates that the acquisition will enable it to expand its offering with a Content Management System that will, for example, allow retailers to manage the 3D models of their inventory, and to streamline AR content creation by converting assets to the appropriate formats, something that the company states is a common problem given the current fragmentation of technologies.
Svrf’s app enabled users to build 3D, wearable filters from their phone and easily alter the colour, texture, and size of each 3D element. The company was founded in 2016 by Sophia Dominguez and Brent Chow. Dominguez, who was CEO of Svrf, has subsequently joined Snapchat as Head of Camera Platform Partnerships.
The deal announced today follows Poplar’s USD $2.6m raise earlier this month, as well as being named one of TikTok’s AR Branded Effects and Google’s Swirl 3D Ads global creative partners. Poplar states that it has a network of over 1,800 global 3D and AR trusted creators.
On the acquisition, Poplar Co-Founder and CTO Laurie Ainley said: “I’ve always admired the great work from Sophia and her team, so it is a privilege to acquire Svrf and continue their efforts in AR and 3D.” He added, “This acquisition will further allow Poplar to create industry-leading AR campaigns for our clients, as well as supporting 3D and immersive creators across the world.”
Sophia Dominguez, commented: “When Brent and I founded Svrf, we set out to make 3D and AR more accessible on all platforms. We are incredibly proud to join forces with Poplar as they share this vision and will bring Svrf’s technology more reach to empower AR creators around the world. This combination is a giant step towards the democratization of AR and the future of AR!”
For more information on Poplar, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: Poplar
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.