Lytro, the light-field imaging startup focused on virtual reality, is shutting down. In a blog post, Lytro said it’s going to begin winding down and will not be taking on any new productions or providing new services.
Earlier this month, we heard Google would be acquiring Lytro in an “asset sale.” While Google is not acquiring the company, there are some Lytro team members joining the Google team, Google confirmed to TechCruch.
Here’s Lytro’s full blog post:
At Lytro, we believe that Light Field will continue to shape the course of Virtual and Augmented Reality, and we’re incredibly proud of the role we’ve been able to play in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We’ve uncovered challenges we never dreamed of and made breakthroughs at a seemingly impossible pace. We’ve had some spectacular successes, and built entire systems that no one thought possible. More importantly, we built a team that was singularly unified in its focus and unrivaled in its dedication. It has been an honor and a pleasure to contribute to the cinema and Virtual Reality communities, but starting today we will not be taking on new productions or providing professional services as we prepare to wind down the company. We’re excited to see what new opportunities the future brings for the Lytro team as we go our separate ways. We would like to thank the various communities that have supported us and hope that our paths will cross in the future.
Lytro began as a point-and-shoot camera that was able to refocus images after the fact. It later evolved into using its depth-data, light-field technology in virtual reality.
Lytro was not immediately available for comment.