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§ Private Profile · Amsterdam, Netherlands
Layar is a technology company.
Layar has raised $16.5M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Layar.
Layar has raised $16.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Layar developed an augmented reality browser for mobile devices, enabling users to view digital information overlaid onto real-world scenes captured by their phone's camera. This technology allowed for interactive experiences by adding layers of contextual data, such as points of interest, real estate listings, or historical facts, directly into the user's live view of their surroundings. Its core capability was bridging the physical and digital worlds through an accessible mobile interface.
Founded in June 2009, Layar was established by Raimo van der Klein, Maarten Lens-FitzGerald, and Claire Boonstra. Their founding insight centered on the potential of mobile devices to enhance reality by integrating digital content into everyday environments. The founders recognized the nascent capabilities of smartphone cameras and GPS to create a new paradigm of information consumption, moving beyond traditional screens to an immersive, real-world context.
Layar's platform catered to both consumers seeking interactive experiences and developers building augmented reality applications. Users engaged with a variety of "layers" created by partners, transforming their mobile devices into tools for discovery and information overlay. The company's vision was to make augmented reality mainstream, envisioning a future where digital information seamlessly augmented every aspect of daily life, enriching human perception and interaction with the physical world.
Key people at Layar.
Layar has raised $16.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Layar's investors include Intel Capital, Prime Ventures, Sunstone Capital, Heartcore Capital.
Layar was a pioneering Dutch augmented reality (AR) company that developed one of the first mobile AR browsers, enabling users to overlay digital content onto the real world via smartphone cameras.[1][2] Its flagship Layar app, available on iOS and Android, served consumers, developers, and businesses in sectors like retail, education, real estate, and entertainment by solving the problem of blending immersive digital information—such as navigation aids, ads, and educational tools—with physical surroundings.[1][2] Layar operated an open platform that empowered thousands of developers to create and publish AR "layers" (geo-located points of interest), fostering a vast library of experiences and driving early AR adoption amid rising smartphone use.[1]
The company achieved rapid growth, reaching 1,000 layers by July 2010 and nearly 3,000 by September 2011, while earning recognition as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2011.[2] However, Layar was acquired by UK-based Blippar in June 2014, with its Amsterdam office closing in 2016; co-founders expressed interest in repurchasing the IP in 2019 to potentially relaunch independently.[2]
Layar was founded in 2009 in Amsterdam by Raimo van der Klein, Claire Boonstra, and Maarten Lens-FitzGerald, at the dawn of widespread smartphone adoption.[1][2] The trio envisioned seamless integration of digital content into the physical world, launching the Layar mobile AR browser that used device sensors like GPS, compass, accelerometer, and camera to overlay data "layers" on live camera views.[2] Early traction came quickly: by mid-2010, Layar signed global AR deals and powered thousands of third-party layers, from QR-based apps to locative games like fAR-Play, validating content via its free API.[1][2] This positioned Layar as a leader in nascent mobile AR, culminating in its 2011 Technology Pioneer accolade from the World Economic Forum.[2]
Layar rode the early 2010s smartphone and mobile internet boom, capitalizing on ubiquitous cameras and GPS to democratize AR when the technology was experimental and hardware-limited.[1][2] Its timing was ideal: as apps exploded post-iPhone era, Layar bridged physical-digital divides, influencing sectors like advertising (e.g., EIXOS overlays) and gaming, while inspiring the AR ecosystem that later powered Pokémon GO and enterprise tools.[2] Market forces like rising developer interest and global deals amplified its reach, but acquisition by Blippar reflected consolidation in a maturing field; Layar's open model helped normalize AR APIs, paving the way for modern platforms despite its shutdown.[1][2]
Layar's legacy as an AR trailblazer endures, but its post-2016 dormancy under Blippar limits current momentum—though 2019 co-founder interest in repurchasing IP hints at revival potential amid AR's resurgence via glasses like Apple Vision Pro and web AR standards.[2] Trends like AI-enhanced AR, 5G low-latency overlays, and metaverse applications could reshape its trajectory if relaunched, evolving from mobile browser to integrated platform influencing spatial computing. This early innovator exemplifies how timing and openness can seed ecosystems, tying back to its foundational mission of enriching reality with digital layers.
Layar has raised $16.5M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $13.5M Other Equity in November 2010.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2010 | $13.5M Venture Round | Intel Capital | Prime Ventures, Sunstone Capital | Announced |
| Feb 1, 2010 | $3M Series A | — | Heartcore Capital | Announced |
