Apple buys German Metaio VR Company

Apple has acquired Munich based Metaio, an augmented reality solution provider.

Virtual Reality is the next big thing. This time it is on for real. We already thought VR is coming twenty years ago. Now with Ocolus, Google Cardboard and Microsoft’s incredible HoloLens Virtual Reality is on the verge to enter the consumer market. Mass market adoption is still years away as the first consumer solutions are going to be expensive. An Oculus Rift setup including PC is about $1,500.

Apple is also gearing up their virtual reality capabilities. Apple has bought German based Metaio, an augmented reality solution provider. VentureBeat reported first that Metaio announced to end all subscriptions and product offerings. Yesterday a copy of the public record of Metaio GmbH surfaced on Twitter showing Apple as owner. 

It’s official now: #Apple has bought #Metaio. pic.twitter.com/FGrvm8jbY6— Magdalena Rogl (@LenaRogl) /4/28, 2015

There is no doubt that Apple bought Metaio. Metaio has been founded in 2003 and also had an office in San Francisco besides in Munich. It is not clear how Apple is integrating the Metaio team. As usual Apple is not revealing anything about acquisitions of small companies.

The video above shows examples of augmented reality solutions by Metaio. Apple has not wiped out Metaio’s Youtube channel yet. Their Twitter accounts are already gone.