If filters that make you look like a bee, a deer, or give you a cute and groovy graphic flower crown aren't enough for your Snapchat experience, the company has snapped up up an Israeli augmented reality startup company, opening up new possibilities for... other weird Snapchat stuff, mostly aimed at selling products. Reuters reports that Snapchat bought Cimagine Media for between $30 and $40 million on Christmas day, citing the Calcalist daily financial report.
Reuters reports that Cimagine Media devloped True Marketless Augmented Reality, which has a focus on using augmented reality technology to sell items to consumers, according to YOUREDM. Reuters described a Cimagine smartphone app that allows users to use augmented reality to see what furniture or appliances would look like and if they would fit in their homes.
Reuters further reports that Cimagine currently has about 20 employees, but is expected to expand rapidly once the company becomes Snapchat's research and development center in Israel. While the company has cool technology, augmented reality has already been used by many companies, and Snapchat was likely attracted to the company due to the talent of its employees, according to Reuters.
Given that Cimagine Media creates ecommerce technology, it seems likely that Snapchat will begin using similar features. Maybe don't get excited about any new filters, but instead brace yourself to have Snapchat push technology that got people excited about Pokémon Go to get you to buy expensive stuff you may not need or want for your house. Fun!
