Gowalla Returns: Augmented Reality Social App Revival

Gowalla is set to return to the market.

The company, which long-time TechCrunch readers may remember, was a forward-thinking consumer social application that garnered attention from Silicon Valley investors. However, it ultimately struggled to compete with Foursquare, leading to a $3 million acqui-hire in 2011 that brought its team to Facebook.

Many believed that marked the end of the story, but founder Josh Williams has informed TechCrunch that he has chosen to reinstate the Gowalla brand and further develop its original concept by utilizing augmented reality technology.

“I genuinely believe that [Gowalla’s initial concept] remains unfulfilled, which is why I am motivated to revisit this project,” Williams explained to TechCrunch. “It was truly disappointing to see it discontinued.”

Following his time at Facebook, another venture-funded startup, and several other positions, Williams has reacquired the Gowalla name. He is now reviving the company with the assistance of co-founder Patrick Piemonte, a former Apple interface designer and the founder of an AR startup known as Mirage. This new venture was developed within Form Capital, a design-focused venture capital fund managed by Williams and Bobby Goodlatte.

Williams is optimistic that augmented reality will revitalize the Gowalla brand.

Despite substantial investments from companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google, augmented reality is still considered a risky endeavor, with many experts predicting widespread adoption is still several years away. Apple’s ARKit developer platform has seen limited success despite significant funding, and Pokémon GO — the only major consumer success in the field — is losing momentum.

“Pokémon GO,” which was released in 2016, “represents the most significant AR experience currently available,” Williams pointed out. “It has significantly advanced the field, but remains in its early stages of development.”

Williams remained reserved regarding specific details about the new augmented reality platform’s features upon launch. He did mention that it will resemble a gamified social application more than a traditional social game, and also cited the Nintendo franchise Animal Crossing as a key source of inspiration for the platform.

“It’s designed to be an experience, not a game centered around bosses, missions, or levels,” Williams stated. “The core questions are: How can we integrate augmented reality with location-based services? And how can we allow users to experience the world from different perspectives?”

A location-based social platform will likely require users to visit physical locations, and the pandemic has influenced the app’s launch schedule. Gowalla is currently launching a waitlist, and Williams indicated that the application will enter beta testing in “a number of cities” during the first half of the coming year. The team is also introducing a unique paid beta program called the “Street Team,” which will provide users who pay a one-time fee of $49 with early access to Gowalla, along with “VIP membership,” access to a private Discord group, and exclusive branded merchandise. A dedicated Street Team application will also be released in December.