UK Based AR Development Company BlippAR Goes Under!

BlippAR Goes Into Administration

One of the biggest arms of tech development at the moment is the implemented of AR (or augmented reality) devices. This is, for those of you unaware of the tech, similar but different to virtual reality. While virtual reality is set in an entirely graphically-based environment, AR looks to use the existing (and very real) scenery to generate graphics around it. While it might sound like the stuff of dreams it is very much a reality, albeit in the early days of development.

One of the more notable companies getting involved in it, however, was the UK firm, BlippAR. In a report via the BBC, however, following extreme financial difficulties, the company has entered administration.

A Short But Exciting Life!

Created in 2011, BlippAR came to note as being one of the first companies to be looking to take augmented reality programs seriously. With some promising early tech demonstrations, they actually appeared to be one of the market leaders with the company reputedly having as many as 200 employees at their peak. Cash flow problems have, however, put an end to that.

Why Have They Gone Under?

Theories on this vary. Some suggest that the company lacked a clear direction for their product. Instead, they choose to pull in too many directions and ended up spreading themselves too thin to actually produce a working product. Others, however, speculate that there may have been a falling out with investors over the last of progress the company had made in their 7 years.

Personally, I would argue that while both of these seem legitimate points, there may be a simpler answer. BlippAR burst onto the scene, and then practically vanished from it. Making a product such as this viable requires a constant poke in the ribs of the community. ‘We are still here and this is what we’ve done’.

It does, however, mark a late-in-the-year shutdown of another tech company.

What do you think? Did you ever hear about BlippAR? – Let us know in the comments!