Google Buys AI Avatar Startup to Rival TikTok

Tiktok is quite popular among users these days. This is evident from its growing usage and many big apps copying its signature features. Previously Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube had incorporated many features that were inspired by TikTok, and now Google is all set to spend on Avatars to compete with TikTok and for this, it has partnered with AI Avatar Startup.

No doubt, according to the company financials, Google is struggling when it comes to ad revenue and has to spend a big amount on hardware but it is still ready to spend nine digits to buy an AI-powered imaging company for making Avatars.

The firm with which Google is trying to collaborate for this matter is Alter and the cost finalized between both companies is $100 million. When this news started circulating on the internet, Google came up with confirmation regarding the acquisition but did not disclose further details.

It was revealed that this deal was closed two months back. Former Alter COO Jonathan Slimak had announced on LinkedIn that he is starting a new position at Google however had not mentioned the acquisition.

For those who do not know about Alter, it started its operations in 2020 as Facemoji,  with the main expertise of plug-and-play avatars that can be incorporated by social and gaming platforms. Apart from face-mapped filters and avatars, Snapchat has introduced Bitmojis whereas Facebook and Instagram have also included the same with different names. Since TikTok is still winning users’ hearts and time, Google might be incorporating YouTube Shorts for Avatars to attract people towards its platform. While these are just rumors and the company has not confirmed anything right now.

Moreover, Alter is not the only acquisition that is carried by Google, the parent company Alphabet has made eighth major acquisition this year and has taken over micro-LED producer Raxium. Let’s see how this acquisition will be fruitful for users.

Also Read: WhatsApp to Soon Launch Bitmoji-like Avatars for Video Calls