Which software company did Snapchat acquire in May 2014 for video chat technology? Snapchat acquired AddLive.
AddLive was a software company whose technology helped Snapchat build video chat. Snap acquired it in May 2014, and Snapchat introduced video calling and ephemeral text chat around the same period. The deal supplied specialized communications technology rather than simply adding another consumer-facing app to Snapchat’s portfolio.
This acquisition is easy to mix up with Snapchat’s later purchases. Zenly was a location-sharing app acquired in 2017, Vurb was a search and recommendation app acquired in 2017, and Looksery provided computer-vision technology behind selfie lenses and was bought in 2015. None of those was the May 2014 video-chat acquisition.
AddLive’s technology fit Snapchat’s expansion from disappearing photo messages into live communication. The move helped turn the service into a broader messaging platform while preserving its emphasis on camera-based, temporary interactions.