Toronto-based ModiFace, whose augmented reality (AR) platform has been used by the likes of Sephora, Estée Lauder, and, believe or not, Samsung, has been purchased by the world’s largest cosmetics firm, L’Oreal S.A.
In a March 16 news release, the Clichy, France-based company said that its acquisition of ModiFace, which it called “an internationally recognized leader in augmented reality and artificial intelligence applied to the beauty industry,” would contribute to a digital acceleration strategy aimed at providing L’Oreal’s 34 international brands with “the most innovative technologies in terms of services and beauty experience.”
“We are thrilled to welcome ModiFace to L’Oréal to become the heart of our digital services [research and development],” L’Oréal chief digital officer Lubomira Rochet said in the March 16 statement. “With its world-class team, technologies and sustained track record in terms of beauty tech innovations, ModiFace will support the reinvention of the beauty experience around innovative services to help our customers discover, try and chose products and brands.”
For his part, ModiFace founder and CEO Parham Aarabi called the acquisition “an incredible opportunity to innovate on beauty augmented reality and artifical intelligence (AI) at an unprecedented scale, the results of which will shape the beauty industry for the decades to come.”
“Our entire team and I are extremely excited to be joining the L’Oréal family, and look forward to the AR/AI-enabled future that we will create together,” he said.
ModiFace’s platform, which uses facial tracking to help users apply virtual makeup to live footage of their faces (see below) using a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphones, is used on the websites of multiple cosmetic companies and was most recently integrated into the Samsung Galaxy S9 camera.
