Roblox Acquires Loom.ai: Expanding Digital Avatar Capabilities

Roblox revealed today its acquisition of Loom.ai, a firm specializing in digital avatars. The purchase of a company dedicated to developing highly realistic human avatars represents a noteworthy move for the gaming platform, which has become well-known for its experiences that generally prioritize imaginative design over strict realism.

We previously reported on the company’s initial $1.35 million seed funding round in 2016. Subsequently, Loom.ai secured further seed investment, accumulating a total of $5.9 million in funding. Notable investors in the startup include Y Combinator, Samsung Ventures, Anorak Ventures, and Zach Coelius.

The financial details of the acquisition have not been revealed.

Loom.ai was among numerous avatar companies established during the mid-2010s, benefiting from progress in computer vision technology. These companies sought to establish a network of users across various games and platforms, utilizing their technology to generate in-app avatars. This sector of businesses aimed to leverage opportunities within 3D technology, extending beyond the scope identified by companies like Snapchat after its acquisition of Bitmoji.

Throughout its history, Loom.ai transitioned its focus from achieving photorealistic avatars to crafting representations similar to Memojis. This allowed users to upload a standard 2D photograph and automatically generate a realistic 3D avatar. More recently, Loom.ai concentrated on providing solutions for businesses. The company’s offerings also encompassed a range of integrations for creating customized avatar stickers for messaging apps like Slack or WhatsApp, as well as live avatars for use in video conferencing.

Despite Roblox currently featuring relatively simple avatar designs, this acquisition indicates the company may be considering the development of a system that emphasizes greater realism and more natural facial expressions. In a statement released with the announcement, Roblox indicated that this acquisition “will speed up the creation of the next generation of avatars.”