Google has acquired Alter, an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar startup that was working on using AI to generate avatars for social media users and brands to express their virtual identity.
Google has purchased the startup for about $100 million in an effort to improve its content game and compete with TikTok, according to TechCrunch.
A Google spokesperson confirmed that the company had acquired Alter but declined to comment on the financial terms of the transaction.
Alter started as Facemoji, a platform that offered plug-and-play technology for helping game and App developers add avatar systems to their Apps.
Among its investors are Play Ventures, Roosh Ventures and Twitter, which invested $3 million in the startup. Later Facemoji rebranded as Alter.
