News Corp invests in augmented reality creator Plattar
News Corp Australia has invested in augmented reality creator Plattar which has just closed an oversubscribed seed investment round for $1.1m.
Plattar is a cloud-based platform that allows brands, publishers and agencies to create, manage and distribute augmented reality content.
The investment is News Corp Australia’s first ever seed investment.
News Corp Australia’s chief technology officer Alisa Bowen said in a statement: “We are delighted to announce our investment in Plattar. Augmented reality is a major component of the the next wave of consumer engagement, and we are excited to be bringing this capability to News.
“Working with Rupert, Steve and the Plattar team on a partnership with REA Group and Ray White in February confirmed the huge potential in the platform, and we will be looking to integrate AR and Plattar across many more of our publications.”
The Plattar platform comprises a template driven app builder and content management system for managing AR experiences, and can deploy content to any device. Plattar operates on a software as a service subscription model, and for larger projects provides bespoke content solutions, integration and support.
Plattar CEO Rupert Deans said in a statement: “AR has enormous potential to impact the way we work, play, learn, communicate, transact, and consume content. The beauty of Plattar is that it allows anybody with any skillset to create their own AR experiences, bringing our own ideas to life in 3D.
“We were blown away by the level of interest and were pleased to welcome News Corp Australia as a strategic partner and investor. This round of investment will allow us to accelerate growth through additional investment in product development and marketing activity as part of an ambitious plan to cement Plattar as the world’s leading AR creator.”
Plattar is currently in private beta and is taking expressions of interest.
