Beauty company IL MAKIAGE on Thursday (Aug. 12) announced the acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) imaging startup Voyage81, a move that allows the company to enhance its machine learning capabilities through patented hyperspectral imaging tools and prepare for beauty and wellness launches.
“For the past two years, we have been searching for computational imaging solutions that can work in beauty and wellness to further advance our existing AI capabilities,” said IL MAKIAGE CEO Oran Holtzman in the joint announcement.
“Bringing on Voyage81’s patented technology and exceptional team to our tech and data science departments is a huge win for our company’s future, our users, and the industry at-large,” he said.
Voyage81’s software can map and analyze skin and hair features, detecting facial blood flows, and creating melanin and hemoglobin maps from a smartphone camera photo. The Voyage81 team will join IL MAKIAGE’s data sciences group to work on algorithms to improve the virtual shopping experience.
Voyage81 founders Niv Price, who serves as chief technology officer, Dr. Boaz Arad, who serves as chief vision officer and Omer Shwartz, VP of information security, will take leadership roles in IL MAKIAGE, while retaining their current roles at Voyage81.
“Combining Voyage81’s physics-based algorithms with IL MAKIAGE’s existing data science team and utilizing the company’s one billion+ data points and unprecedented daily incoming data flow, will further boost our AI vision capabilities,” Arad said in the announcement.
“I strongly believe that together we can conquer the next frontier in the beauty and wellness industries – creating a technological advantage that will be next to impossible to match,” he said.
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Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and other brands use experiential shopping software platform Obsess to create virtual stores. The company also works with Sam’s Club, Party City and other retailers.
Beauty technology company Perfect Corp. works with Google, Facebook and other platforms to allow consumers to virtually try on makeup and expanded into eyewear and earrings among other fashion-based products.
Meanwhile, Snapchat users can use the app’s Scan feature to take a picture of an outfit and get shopping recommendations through subsidiary Screenshop, and Estee Lauder, FARFETCH and Prada are among the brands using Snapchat’s AR tools to let users virtually try on clothes and makeup.
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