Google acquires AI Avatar startup "Alter" for USD 100M to challenge TikTok!

Google quietly acquires Twitter-backed AI Avatar start-up "Alter" for USD 100 Million two months ago.

Alter features

Google acquires Alter

Alter is an artificial intelligence avatar startup that helps creators and brands express their virtual identities. It has headquarters in the United States and in the Czech Republic and it began its life as Facemoji. Facemoji is a platform that offers a plug-and-play tech to help games and app developers put avatar systems into their apps. The venture eventually received around USD 3 million in funding from investors that include Play Ventures, Roosh Ventures, and Twitter. Facemoji eventually rebranded to "Alter."

According to Tech Crunch, Google allegedly acquired the start-up to boost its content game to better compete with TikTok. The acquisition was completed two months ago but was only recently confirmed by the tech giant through a spokesperson who declined to comment further.

Tech Crunch also observed that Alter's top executives updated their LinkedIn profiles to reflect that they recently joined Google.

Alter founders Jon Slimak and Robin Raszka also did not respond to Tech Crunch's request for comment.

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Source: TechCrunch, Via: Engadget