Autodesk has acquired extended reality (XR) company The Wild as it aims to provide business services for companies working in the metaverse.

San Francisco-based Autodesk will have access to The Wild’s cloud-connected XR platform, which includes its namesake solutions that enable architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals to present, collaborate, and review projects together in seamless experiences. immersive and interactive. from anywhere and at any time.

This acquisition enables Autodesk to meet the growing needs for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology advancements within the AEC industry and further support AEC customers throughout the project delivery lifecycle.

Serving more than 700 clients worldwide through its two platforms, The Wild’s XR technologies offer affordable, on-demand, in-context opportunities for deeper team collaboration. Its virtual format empowers remote workforces amid a rapidly evolving work landscape and offers an immersive environment for real-time ideation and decision-making, the companies said.

“Our acquisition of The Wild reflects the rapid transformation taking place in the construction industry, from the complexity of projects to the geographic diversity of the teams that design, build and operate them,” said Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk CEO. , it’s a statement. “XR is a critical business imperative today and an important part of the Autodesk Forge platform vision.”

The Wild’s virtual platform enables teams to work together within digital project models to explore, interact and make changes to the model directly in the cloud. This leads to better project decisions and outcomes at a fraction of the time and cost of in-person collaboration methods, the companies said.

“The Wild and Autodesk share a common mission to foster a more productive and collaborative AEC industry and, in this case, one where teams can solve problems in minutes from their desks instead of traditional miles of costly travel,” he said. Gabe Paez, Executive Director. of The Wild, in a statement. “The Wild’s clients understand the value from the start, building consensus as a team in the virtual world with the ability to make changes to their designs at the speed of thought.”

A convergence of events makes this the right time for Autodesk to acquire The Wild’s talent and technology and leverage it as the foundation of Autodesk’s XR journey, said Nic Fonta, general manager of XR at Autodesk.

In an email to ventureBeat, Fonta said: “We believe that extended reality (XR) technology will revolutionize data interaction and project collaboration for all professionals, especially those in the AEC industry. It will profoundly change the industries we serve, as well as the way our clients work and interact within their teams and with their clients. Our acquisition of The Wild further reinforces this vision, providing the immersive platform AEC professionals want and need for complex data visualization, deeper real-time team collaboration and better outcomes, and lays a strong foundation for the Autodesk’s overall XR journey.”

Why does XR matter?

Autodesk believes that XR can help with increased workforce resiliency and remote collaboration, which has increased significantly amid the global pandemic. With physical distancing and travel restrictions constantly evolving, XR solutions offer a way to virtually keep teams together and projects moving with minimal disruption.

Until recently, the cost of professional-grade virtual reality and augmented reality was unaffordable for many. Now the headphones cost about
hundreds of dollars instead of thousands, and most smartphones support AR, putting the power of XR in the hands of anyone, anywhere, anytime.

In-person collaboration often requires expensive travel and needlessly contributes to harmful carbon emissions, and when teams can’t get together to work on design issues together, expensive rework and significant material waste are often a consequence. Offering seamless, instant and immersive cloud collaboration saves teams time, money and materials, the companies said.

The Wild pulls data from multiple AEC technologies in their respective XR collaboration experiences to perform design review and model coordination. Together, existing integrations include Autodesk Construction Cloud (Autodesk BIM 360, Autodesk Build), Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Navisworks, as well as other non-Autodesk technologies, Rhinoceros, and Trimble SketchUp.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during Autodesk’s trading period.
first quarter of fiscal 2023, ending April 30, 2022. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Wild has 27 employees, while Autodesk has 11,500 employees.

Autodesk also said that it offers a wide range of capabilities within the AEC space.

“The Wild is a strong addition to our growing portfolio, and Autodesk’s larger sales, development and support platforms will help scale its XR offerings in support of our customers,” said Fonta.

When asked what The Wild adds, Fonta said, “Through the acquisition, Autodesk will gain access to The Wild’s cloud-connected XR solutions, including Iris VR, leveraging the value of our company’s existing design portfolio.” for AEC professionals and project owners. At a time when the AEC industry is rapidly transforming and digitizing, The Wild’s immersive technology enables teams to enter virtual models to present, collaborate and review projects together, from anywhere in the world. This acquisition enables Autodesk to meet the growing needs for XR technology advancements within the AEC industry and further support AEC customers throughout the project delivery cycle.”

The engineering firm Black & Veatch works with both companies.

“As remote collaboration continues to become the new normal for many professionals across industries
and market sectors, the capabilities of systems such as Autodesk Construction Cloud and The Wild’s

“The IrisVR platform helps Black & Veatch deliver world-class projects regardless of the physique of our professionals.
location,” Brian Melton, technology innovation leader at Black & Veatch, said in a statement. “This kind of full-scale spatial immersive experience is a game changer for our professionals by allowing us to meet virtually within the
project design environment, to discuss the design, conduct reviews and coordinate activities, document potential problems, and gather feedback to speed execution and improve safety. Autodesk’s acquisition of The Wild could create an even more seamless integration of VR into the platforms we use, leading to broader adoption, more capabilities, and a shift from what was once science fiction to a daily activity”.