Dropbox has acquired the 3D photo startup Bubbli that lets users stitch pictures captured at different angles into a single panoramic view.
Bubbli is an iOS-only app and will reportedly continue serving customers. The financial details of the transaction are yet to be disclosed.
The company sent emails to users that read, “We have some exciting news to share: Dropbox has acquired Bubbli! We’re thrilled to be joining Dropbox. Bubbli’s goal has always been to capture experiences in a way that feels like you are not just viewing photos but reliving memories.”
“By joining forces, we’ll be able to continue to transform how you experience your memories on a much larger scale.”
The app was developed by Ben Newhouse, who graduated from Stanford and Terrence McArdle. The photos created using the app are called “bubbles” which are 360 degree panoramic photos generated by stitching several photos of the same view together using a smartphone. It also lets users add sounds and share them online.
Bubbli will be working with Dropbox to integrate its 3D photo streaming technology and users can continue using the app like before and new users can also download it from iTunes.
However, Dropbox has a history of acquiring photo related apps only to close them down like Snapjoy – a cloud-based photo library service was acquired in 2012 and shut down later, Loom – a photo storage service which offered up to 5GB of free storage to users was also closed down eventually after acquisition.
Notably, Bubbli is more than just a photo storage service and sources say that Dropbox acquired it mainly for its 3D photo streaming technology which makes chances of Bubbli shutting down seemingly slim.
