Bristol-based mid-air touch technology firm Ultrahaptics has struck a deal with long-term US collaborator Leap Motion to create a major force in its fast-growing sector.
While Ultrahaptics, which last December completed a £35m Series C round of investment, described the move as a ‘combination’, trade media reported that it had paid around $30m to acquire San Francisco-based Leap Motion. 
University of Bristol spin-out Ultrahaptics has grown into the world’s leading mid-air haptics company, having developed a unique technology that enables users to receive tactile feedback without needing to wear or touch anything.
The technology uses ultrasound to project sensations through the air and directly onto the user’s hands, enabling them to ‘feel’ virtual buttons, get tactile feedback for mid-air gestures, or interact with virtual objects.
It has collaborated with Leap Media for six years on a number of projects. The firms said the ‘strategic deal’ would combine their expertise and create the world’s leading spatial interaction company.
Industry reports said Ultrahaptics would now own Leap Motion’s patents and hire most of its staff.
The combination of teams and their technologies would accelerate innovation and enhance commercial applications, including current products and driving new forms of contactless interactive products, the firms said.
Ultrahaptics CEO Steve Cliffe said: “We are building a company to support the changes between human and machine interaction that will define the 21st Century. Together, Ultrahaptics and Leap Motion products have the opportunity to be at the global epicentre of spatial interaction.
“Taking a holistic view of this exciting market, not only can we continue to create two hugely significant technologies, but we can max out the potential of combining them – proving that one plus one really can make three.
“With this deal, we’ll combine some of the best minds in human-computer interaction. We will be better placed to leverage our customer contacts and expand the vertical stack of immersive technologies, just as the applications which benefit from our collective strengths are moving into the mainstream.”
Leap Motion co-founder and CTO David Holz added: “We’ve been working with Ultrahaptics for nearly six years. Both companies have an intense passion for deepening the bond between people and technology and together we can reach the true potential of both. We’ve been the undisputed leaders in our respective spaces from the beginning and this marks an exciting new era of even greater technologies and more physical, intuitive experiences.”
