What was the landmark $500+ million acquisition of WaveOptics in 2021?
In May 2021, Snap acquired British optical technology leader WaveOptics for over $500 million in cash and stock, securing proprietary diffractive waveguide displays and micro-projectors that serve as the core optical engine for SPECS AR glasses.
What was the acquisition of Looksery in 2015?
In September 2015, Snap acquired Ukrainian facial modification startup Looksery for approximately $150 million, providing the fundamental real-time computer vision technology that powered Snapchat's viral animated selfie AR Lenses.
What was the acquisition of Bitstrips in 2016?
In July 2016, Snap acquired Canadian cartoon avatar creator Bitstrips for approximately $100 million in cash and stock, integrating personalized Bitmoji avatars throughout Snapchat, stickers, and digital merchandise.
What was the acquisition of Zenly in 2017?
In May 2017, Snap acquired French real-time social location mapping startup Zenly for $213 million in cash and stock, transforming its technology into the wildly successful Snap Map feature.
What was the acquisition of NextMind in 2022?
In March 2022, Snap acquired Paris-based neurotechnology startup NextMind, absorbing its brain-computer interface (BCI) technology into Snap Labs to develop neural and gesture controls for future AR hardware.
What was the acquisition of Fit Analytics in 2021?
In March 2021, Snap acquired Berlin-based apparel sizing technology provider Fit Analytics for $124 million, integrating automated machine-learning apparel fit recommendations into Snapchat's AR shopping tools.
What was the acquisition of Vertebrae in 2021?
In July 2021, Snap acquired 3D and augmented-reality commerce startup Vertebrae, allowing retail merchants to easily convert physical product catalogs into interactive 3D digital models for try-on Lenses.
What was the acquisition of Voisey in 2020?
In late 2020, Snap acquired social music creation app Voisey, adding collaborative vocal recording, pitch-correction autotune, and audio beat-matching tools to Snapchat's Sounds music library.
Why did Snap shut down Zenly as a standalone app in 2023?
During cost-cutting restructurings in late 2022 and 2023, Snap discontinued the independent Zenly app to focus engineering and capital resources strictly on the integrated Snap Map feature inside Snapchat.
What was the acquisition of AI video startup AI Factory in 2020?
In January 2020, Snap acquired Ukraine-linked computer vision firm AI Factory for $166 million, whose technology powered Snapchat's "Cameos" feature that superimposes users' selfies into looping animated video scenes.
What is Snap's M&A criteria under Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy?
Snap targets specialized computer vision, spatial display optics, AR developer software, and digital identity startups that can be directly absorbed to enhance the core camera experience or accelerate hardware timelines.
How does Snap support early-stage AR startups through Yellow Accelerator?
Launched in 2018, Snap's Yellow Accelerator provides seed investments of $150,000 alongside mentorship to early-stage creative and technology entrepreneurs building innovative applications in AR and mobile content.