Dundee-based mobile app developer, Waracle, has taken a stake in artificial reality (AR) start-up Mozenix.

Waracle previously invested in Mozenix when the AR company was first starting out, and its six-strong team was already based in Waracle’s Bash Street offices.

Mozenix co-founder Michael Romilly had been part of the group that established Waracle, but left in 2017 to start a new venture with Michael Brown. Part of the Exception Group since 2016, Waracle plans to use the technology developed by Monzenix to offer clients a wider suite of products.

Waracle director and business developer, David Romilly, said: “The DNA of Waracle has always been about exploration. When mobile came on the scene, we were one of the first companies to experiment with it.

“We need to keep on exploring, researching and understanding the technologies so that we can help take our clients on a journey. The investment in Mozenix is us backing the technology and shows we understand the potential. AR and voice are going to be the next big frontiers for consumers.”

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Mozenix has successfully completed a number of projects, including one with Aberdeen software company Return to Scene. This project used a smartphone camera to recognise oil and gas assets and bring up identification tags and information about them on screen.

Romilly said that Waracle’s newly opened office in London would bring more work to Dundee. “There is more competition in London but what’s interesting is that we see a lot of very creative agencies and some big consultancies,” he said. “We think we are well-positioned in between. We are starting to see some customer wins and it will lead to more work and more staff being based in Dundee.

“We’ve grown a lot, won a couple of financial services clients and we’re now looking at broadening our spread of capabilities, specifically around emerging technology, so now we can work across AR, blockchain, Internet of Things and voice.

“The investment and support we’ll get from Waracle and Exception is going to be invaluable as we grow our company and AR offering.”

Waracle CEO Chris Martin added: “The Waracle team put their love of technology at the heart of everything they do. Bringing the Mozenix AR expertise into the fold means we can now offer an even more valuable service to our client base.”

Waracle employs around 150 staff, with 50 employees based in Dundee, and it has previously invested in blockchain startup Wallet.Services.