Tech

Facebook just bought a start-up that helps you shop for furniture using AI

Key Points
  • Facebook on Friday announced its acquisition of GrokStyle, a San Francisco startup that uses artificial intelligence technology to help users shop for furniture.
  • On the Ikea mobile app, users can snap a photo of a piece of furniture and use GrokStyle's technology to receive matches for similar products.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the F8 Facebook Developers conference on May 1, 2018 in San Jose, California.
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Facebook on Friday announced its acquisition of GrokStyle, a San Francisco start-up that uses artificial intelligence technology to help users shop for furniture.

"We are excited to welcome GrokStyle to Facebook," Facebook spokeswoman Vanessa Chan said in a statement. The company did not disclose a purchase price. "Their team and technology will contribute to our AI capabilities."

GrokStyle published a goodbye post for its customers, users and investors, saying the company would be winding down business. On the Ikea mobile app, users can snap a photo of a piece of furniture and use GrokStyle's technology to receive matches for similar products.

"Today, we are excited to share that we are moving on as a team," GrokStyle announced on its website. "Our team and technology will live on, and we will continue using our AI to build great visual search experiences for retail."

The deal was first reported by Bloomberg.

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