Report: Google acquires Ukrainian facial recognition company Viewdle

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According to a report from Forbes (via TNW), Google just closed a deal last week to acquire Ukrainian augmented reality and facial recognition startup Viewdle. The exact amount Google paid for the company is unclear, but Forbes’ sources said it was somewhere in the neighborhood of the $30 million to $45 million. That puts the purchase price in between the $30 million figure the company expected to get and the amount Google paid for similar companies PittPatt ($38 million) and NevenVision ($45 million).

Viewdle has its SocialCamera Android app, both iOS and Android versions of its face recognition SDK, and several patents related to face detection and augmented reality applications. The translation of the report seems to indicate Motorola had previously been an anonymous bidder interested in purchasing the company:

In the past, the founders Viewdle told Forbes that the company is interested in smartphone manufacturer worldwide. As it turned out, anonymous bidder was Motorola. But when Google and Motorola have entered into negotiations for the sale of mobile units vendor of Viewdle temporarily forgotten. After the deal between the two giants in May 2012, the company has renewed its interest in the Ukrainian startup.