Meet Ainars Klavins, Co-founder and CEO of No-Code AR Builder: Overlyapp

Tell us about Overlyapp

 
Overlyapp is a no-code augmented reality (AR) builder that enables users to create their own AR solutions effortlessly, even without any coding or AR expertise. By eliminating the barriers to entry, Overlyapp makes what is otherwise a super-inaccessible technology approachable for the average person.

Currently, Overlyapp is focused on exploring e-commerce. We’re seeing that people expect to be able to review, and to a certain degree, try out, products before purchasing. With Overlyapp, sellers can provide their buyers with an opportunity to see how an item, e.g., a piece of furniture, will look in their environment. This immersive experience reduces the likelihood of returns and fosters greater customer satisfaction.
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
I first became interested in AR back in 2012. It was a brand-new technology, and my first thought was that this is going to be big.

Together with my co-founder, we launched an agency specialising in building AR experiences and quickly noticed a pattern – most clients who came to us had already created accounts on a number of platforms for building AR solutions. And yet they still needed our help to execute their ideas and actually bring these experiences to life. What’s more – all costs put together amounted to a lot of money, so this technology was exclusively available to companies with deep pockets.

That didn’t seem right, so we decided to build a DIY platform that would make AR available to everyone, from large corporations to family-owned businesses. The first thing we wanted to do was make it easy for users to repurpose their existing content – images, product renders, etc. – to create new AR-based experiences.

In short, Overlyapp’s core idea was to give people a tool to build unique AR experiences – without the need to hire any design and/or technical help.
 

 

How has the company evolved over the last couple of years?

 
First, there was the AR-focused creative agency. While serving our agency’s clients, we started building the Overlyapp software that we launched in 2021.

For two years, my co-founder and I managed both the agency and, in parallel, were developing and improving our software solution. At the beginning of 2023, we made a strategic decision to give the agency away to devote 100% attention to the software.

The next big step in Overlyapp’s development was defining a clear focus in terms of industry. Initially, we wanted to cover a variety of industries – from art to advertising and more. We realized that we need to have a specific focus, so at the beginning of 2023, we started to concentrate on the e-commerce industry.
 

What can we hope to see from Overlyapp in the future?

 
First up – we’re about to launch Overlyapp’s Shopify plugin, which will allow Shopify users to add AR experiences to their stores with a few clicks. We’re also planning to develop integrations with other e-commerce platforms, such as WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and others.

Next, we’ll be expanding the verticals that our solution is available to. Right now, the focus is on interior design elements – furniture, textiles (carpets, drapes), lighting, etc. Soon, we plan to add functionalities that will allow our software to be used in such verticals as art and fashion.