Unity expands AEC business with acquisition of VisualLive

AR tool for collaboration will enrich Unity Reflect.

Unity has been having very good success with developing business in AEC. The company started with a partnership with Autodesk for Unity Reflect, which enables companies to bring their BIM models into Unity to create interactive applications. And, in the process of building Reflect, Unity has discovered a broad new market enabling targeted development.

To further those ends in AEC, Unity has announced the acquisition of VisualLive. VisualLive specializes in AR and enabling businesses to create AR apps using their 3D models. The company enables exploration and collaboration throughout the building lifecycle.

Companies in architectural design and construction are using a variety of tools to better connect the construction site with the office so that teams can understand the progress of a project. It’s also a valuable resource for architects and their clients, to help them understand a design as it’s conceptualized and through the building process. Julien Faure, Unity GM of Verticals, says, “this will fundamentally change how design reviews, construction planning, field inspections, and facilities management are conducted.”

VisualLive employees will join Unity from VisualLive headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“We’re incredibly proud of the rapid growth and market adoption of VisualLive products by the AEC industry since our founding in 2017,” said Saeed Eslami, CEO and Founder of VisualLive.

In the process of creating AR accessibility to a BIM model, VisualLive maintains the necessary documentation that’s part of BIM. The CAD/BIM models can be overlayed on the physical site to enable reviews, validate against existing conditions, verify work, create reports, and collaborate with team members wherever they are and whatever platform they’re using.

The deal closed on March 4. Financial details were not disclosed.

Source: Kathleen Maher/GraphicSpeak