The next time you are trying out new filters on Snapchat or Instagram, be sure to keep in mind that you are partly responsible for taking the world deeper into the realm known as Augmented Reality (AR). Krikey, (pronounced Cry-Key) is a gaming application that allows you to experience a world quite different to the one you’re living in, with the help of just your smartphone camera. From genres like action-adventure, to wildlife and even horror, this San Francisco-based gaming startup has had quite the run since its initiation in 2017.

Available on both Google Play Store and iOS app store, Krikey allows its users to perceive real world elements in a virtual environment. The app features three map-based games, namely Yaatra, Wingspan and Gorillas. Users can choose to play at home or explore the outdoors. Either way, the gaming experience is nothing short of an adventure!

Krieky Mate! The Come up

Despite having worked with some big names, the startup did have humble beginnings. Sisters Jhanvi and Ketaki Shriram co-founded Krikey Inc. in January, 2017 out of a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, while they lived in the apartment next door. Over the following year, the two experimented with a different software and produced a range of games and virtual objects, mainly animals like humpback whales and lions amongst others. After almost 3 years of hard work and dedication, they shifted their startup to a legitimate office in the Financial District and have a team of 30 full-time and part-time employees.

Jhanvi, who is the CEO of the company, holds a BA and an MBA from Stanford and an MFA from USC whereas Ketaki, the CTO, holds a BA, MA and PhD in virtual reality and game development from Stanford. Ketaki went on to be included in the ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ list for gaming in 2020. Krikey also made it to ‘The Fast Company’ list of Best Apps and Games of 2020. Even though the two have had experience working at tech-oriented companies like YouTube, Facebook’s Oculus and Google X, the approach taken by them was unlike any other gaming startup at the time.

To understand what Krikey is all about, we need to first understand their area of interest better. The AR foundation tool kit used by Krikey is vital for creating games that function cross-platform, at scale. They use dynamic ground plane detection and camera transition to enable users to interact with the real world. Augmented reality is halfway between virtual reality and reality itself. Instead of having a completely virtual world around you, in an augmented environment, you can interact with virtual objects in a physical setting. Krikey allows its users to experience a world which they can control without having to go through the hassle of buying expensive gear that most virtual reality games require. By simply downloading the application, Krikey users are free to enter three different worlds using just their smartphone cameras.

The gaming industry is not short of cut-throat competition. The stereotypes of a ‘gamer’ portrayed by pop culture are quite accurate. The latest consoles, graphic chipsets, keyboards, headsets and other gaming gear without a doubt leave the average consumer’s pockets lighter. Even mid-range smartphones these days are focusing on improving the gaming experience because the market calls for it. So, how does Krikey plan to keep up with the likes of PUBG Mobile and other big names in the industry?

Krikey: More a Platform than a Game

Like many founders, Ketaki and Jhanvi weren’t exactly sure what their product would be at first, however, they did know that they wanted to create a platform that dealt with how immersive virtual experiences could affect people and change human behavior. Unlike most gaming applications, Krikey is not offering a video game as their end-product. There are no complex storylines or missions or even a point system per se. Users get to choose from a variety of different simulations that change as per their surroundings. To put it in technical terms, the startup is targeting the augmented reality market rather than the gaming one. This means that user experience takes the front seat.

2020 turned out to be a successful year for Snapchat in India. They crossed the 60 million user mark in the fourth quarter of 2020 in India as their growth momentum touched a new peak with users engaging via Discover content, Lens Studio, etc. 

Snapchat was created by former Stanford University students Bobby Murphy, Evan Spiegel and Reggie Brown. Being a new one-of-a-kind mobile friendly social media app, their features have gained traction especially amongst the Gen-Z. Primarily a one-on-one photo sharing app, the pictures and messages disappear after a short time of being sent and become unavailable to receivers. They started with a simple picture sharing platform and later expanded features like chronological 24-hour stories, Brand advertisements via Discover, password-protected space called My-eyes-only to save pictures. As of March 2020, Snapchat had 229 million daily active users sending an average of around 4 billion Snaps 1 each day.

It all started with Reggie Brown’s idea for a disappearing pictures application which he presented to Evan Spiegel who had little business background. The two of them collaborated with Bobby Murphy who undertook coding. After working closely together, they launched Snapchat under the name Picaboo on iOS in July 2011. Focusing on the technical and application aspects, they relaunched the app as Snapchat in September 2011. Spiegel described their mission as communicating with “the full range of human emotion” without having to capture the perfect pretty Kodak moment. They also focused on the issues caused by longevity of personal information on social media which their platform does not support through disappearing messages.

From 25 Snapchat images being sent per second in May 2012, to 20 million snaps being shared per day in November 2012, over one billion photos had been shared via Snapchat – a spectacular growth within 6 months of launch as the app spread like wildfire across countries. By November 2015, users were sending 6 billion videos per day.  In 2016, they raised $1.81 billion in equity offering.  The company gained popularity especially amongst the younger generations all over the world reaching 166 million daily active users in May 2017. In 2020, they planned a promotion strategy called Snapchat Spotlight where they would pay a total of $1 million to users for posting viral videos, implementation is awaited. 

Augmented reality (AR) is transforming the communication and media entertainment landscape. Snapchat Inc’s Managing Director, Nana Murugasen says in India they focused solely on developing culturally relevant products, community engagement, and partnerships. More than 500 million people in India used the Diwali-themed lenses more than eight times the engagement compared to the previous year. The growth momentum has been inspiring to say the least and has gained immense popularity amongst the Indian youth with a 150 percent growth rate in daily active users.