By Scott Wright
THREE of Scotland’s best-known entrepreneurs have led a $5 million funding round in Blippar, the augmented reality (AR) technology company.
Chroma Ventures, the investment arm of gaming developers Paddy Burns and Chris van der Kuyl, and Sir Tom Hunter’s West Coast Capital co-led the pre-Series A round. Canadian entrepreneur Antony Lacavera also took part.
Blippar, which was founded in 2011, will use the funding to develop its technology and step up its growth in the US, Europe and Asia. It has worked on AR campaigns for major consumer goods brands such as Kellogg’s and Dr Pepper.
Chroma has backed Blippar just days after being set up by Mr Burns and Mr van der Kuyl to consolidate their investment portfolio. The duo founded 4J Studios, which developed the hit game Minecraft for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo consoles, in 2005.
Mr van der Kuyl, who was named a CBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, has joined the board of Blippar as a director.
The Dundonian said: “The immersive nature of AR makes it one of the most important use cases for the gaming industry.
“Blippar’s AR technology is by far the most advanced and innovative that I’ve seen in years and there is huge potential for AR to power the ultimate gaming experience of the future.
“We look forward to being part of the Blippar journey.”
Sir Tom said: “Blippar has demonstrated strong progress with the turnaround plan put in place by Faisal (Galaria, chief executive) and the team, and the business is now well-placed to maximise the opportunities presented by the growing AR ecosystem hence we are delighted to invest.”
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