Facebook has acquired the German computer vision startup Fayteq for an undisclosed amount. Fayteq is best known for developing technology that makes it possible to add objects to existing videos, or remove objects from videos.
German media was first to report about the acquisition Friday. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the deal when contacted by Variety, but declined to comment further.
Fayteq had been selling plugins for video editors like Adobe After Effects that allowed video editors to track objects in videos, and then add or remove assets with the help of the tracking data. This could for example be used to logos or even spaceships to existing videos, as demonstrated in this YouTube promo clip:
Facebook may want to use this kind of technology to add live video effects to Facebook Live. Object tracking in live video is also something the company has been working on as part of its augmented reality efforts, which is why it may be interested in Fayteq’s patents and other intellectual property as well.
Fayteq told its customers Friday that its products and services “are not available for purchase anymore.”
