Japanese AR startup raises $2m to grab the US market

Photo credit: Kudan, an augmented reality (AR) company based in Japan and the UK, announced it has raised funding to the tune of US$2 million. The money comes from a number of angel investors, all of them discreetly hidden under their halos.

Kudan makes a software development kit (SDK) for developers who focus on AR applications. The SDK is available for iOS and Android as well as the Unity engine. It includes tools for camera tracking and a 3D-rendering engine for creating and displaying animated objects on the screen.

The startup counts several big brands as clients, including Ikea, Pepsi, the BBC, Dyson, and Ford.

Kudan will put the funding toward research and development of its AR engine. It will also expand its business in Japan and the US.

This is the second round of external funding the company has raised, after a seed round in 2015.

Converted from Japanese Yen. US$1 = JPY 103