News

Interactive video firm Vidpresso bought by Facebook

The start-up creates tools to make videos more interactive by allowing creators to insert polls, comment sections and social media reaction graphics.
The start-up creates tools to make videos more interactive by allowing creators to insert polls, comment sections and social media reaction graphics. The start-up creates tools to make videos more interactive by allowing creators to insert polls, comment sections and social media reaction graphics.

Facebook has acquired US start-up Vidpresso, an interactive video firm that places on-screen polls, social media comments and graphics on to online video.

The firm, which was founded in 2012, has worked with TV broadcasters and online publishers via social media to add interactive content to their videos, and has hinted that joining Facebook is the beginning of bringing such tools to a wider range of creators.

In a post on its website, the company said it is still to achieve its full vision for its technology, and that is why it is joining the social media giant.

“This gives us the best opportunity to accelerate our vision and offer a simple way for creators, publishers and broadcasters to use social media in live video at a high-quality level,” the post said.

“We’ve always wanted to build tools for everyone to create interactive live video experiences.

“By joining Facebook we’ll be able to offer our tools to a much broader audience than just our A-list publishing partners.

“Eventually, it’ll allow us to put these tools in the hands of creators, so they can focus on their content, and have it look great, without spending lots of time or money to do so.”

Vidpresso has previously worked with Facebook Live – the social network’s live streaming feature – and the start-up’s comments suggest it will look to give users of that feature more interactive tools to work with.

Unique video content is becoming an ever-greater area of interest for social media platforms, with apps such as Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram experimenting with different types of live and extended video for high-profile content creators and general users.

Meanwhile, video platforms such as YouTube are introducing new elements to their services – such as ad-free YouTube Premium and Originals, a collection of unique shows made for the platform.