• by Alex Weprin , August 14, 2018

Facebook has bought the technology and hired the team from the interactive streaming video technology startup Vidpresso, the companies say.

Vidpresso’s seven-person team will join the social giant, and bring their technology with them.

Vidpresso was founded in 2012, and settled on a mission to turn streaming video into a more interactive, conversational format. The company’s technology worked with Facebook, YouTube, Periscope and other platforms, and enabled its users (primarily large media companies) to add interactive elements like polling, comments and graphics to their videos in real time.

In a statement, Vidpresso says that it hopes to bring its suite of tools to a wider audience under Facebook's ownership.

Live video remains a key growth area for video platforms, with YouTube and Facebook each investing significant sums to improve their live capabilities. Meanwhile, competitors like Amazon’s Twitch are growing rapidly.

Vidpresso says its customers that currently use the product will still be able to do so after the staff moves to Facebook.