Video messaging app developer Snapchat has acquired facial recognition startup Looksery.
Ukrainian news outlet Ain.ua reported that Snapchat paid $150m for Looksery, which delivers marketing solutions to OEM’s, brands, make-up companies, call centres, and other industries.
Looksery uses facial recognition technology to photoshop video chats as well as messages in real time.
The Looksery app uses its facial tracking and modification technologies for transforming a user’s face in real-time via the front facing camera on a mobile.
Users can identify new looks by changing their facial features with a range of filters.
Snapchat plans to use the Looksery technology in its new Lenses feature, which was launched recently.
While using the camera to take a selfie, users need to press and hold on their face to activate Lenses.
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Snapchat, which introduced replay in additional services almost two years ago, is planning an IPO following the rejection of a $3bn acquisition offer from Facebook in 2013.
In March, Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba invested $200m into Snapchat in a deal that valued the video messaging app at $15bn.
Snapchat presently has over 100 million users, with the self destructive messaging platform most popular amongst teens and young adults.
