What Circ.us does

Circ.us was a boutique mobile agency that built custom augmented reality and spatial gaming experiences for major consumer and enterprise brands. Its deliverable set consisted of bespoke AR projects rather than a unified platform: a Red Bull Augmented Racing app using computer vision to recognize Red Bull cans so users could build, race, and share virtual tracks; a Ben & Jerry's AR brand engagement; a Cisco AR project; an A&E-commissioned Criss Angel Escape AR cube game for PC and Mac; and a Make Your Own HBO interactive experience. Underlying technology combined mobile augmented reality with proprietary computer vision for branded object recognition, packaged as direct, project-based deliverables to enterprise clients.

The business model was agency-style: Circ.us sold custom AR creative and production services directly to brand clients through commissioned projects, with distribution occurring via branded mobile apps, product packaging (notably co-branding on Red Bull Augmented Racing 8.4 oz 12-Packs), and direct client deployment. Co-founders John Swords and Adam Broitman led a team of roughly a dozen named contributors spanning creative and technical roles. The firm positioned itself as an early-mover specialist in mobile AR and spatial gaming for marketing activations.

Circ.us shows every indication of having ceased active operations. The company's own copy is written in past tense ('Circ.us was...'), and its website presents a 'Project Archive (in process)' rather than an active portfolio. No funding rounds, pricing, revenue figures, ownership structure, geographic footprint, or post-archive strategic activity are disclosed in available sources.

Name

Circ.us

Website

https://circ.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circ.us was a boutique mobile agency that built custom augmented reality and spatial gaming experiences for enterprise brands including Red Bull, Ben & Jerry's, Cisco, HBO, and A&E, using computer vision for branded object recognition; the firm appears to have ceased active operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Augmented Reality Agency Services

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile/Digital Experiential (AR/VR, Interactive Installations) (MPAAAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA), VR/AR Gaming Platforms (BPAMAKAG)

Keywords

• Augmented reality experiences
• Mobile AR development
• AR brand activations
• Spatial gaming agency
• Computer vision AR

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Circ.us was a mobile agency that designed and delivered custom augmented reality experiences and spatial gaming projects for enterprise brand clients. Work included AR-enabled mobile applications (iPhone), desktop AR games (PC and Mac), and computer-vision-powered brand activations tied to physical products such as Red Bull cans. Each engagement was a bespoke commissioned deliverable rather than a packaged or licensed product.

Product overview

Circ.us was an award-winning mobile agency that introduced augmented reality and spatial gaming to consumers and brands. The company delivered a portfolio of AR experiences including Red Bull Augmented Racing (AR racing game using computer vision to track Red Bull cans), Ben & Jerry's AR, Criss Angel Escape (AR cube game for A&E), Make Your Own HBO, and a project for Cisco. These projects operated as standalone AR experiences rather than a unified platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Red Bull Augmented Racing An augmented reality racing experience for Red Bull where users trace Red Bull cans with an iPhone to build, race, and share virtual tracks with friends. Built using computer vision to recognize the physical cans, and featured on Red Bull Augmented Racing 8.4 oz 12-Packs.
• Ben & Jerry's AR Experience An augmented reality experience created for Ben & Jerry's as a brand engagement activation.
• Criss Angel Escape An augmented reality cube game for PC and Mac, commissioned by A&E for magician Criss Angel, designed and delivered by Circ.us.
• Make Your Own HBO An interactive augmented reality experience created for HBO.
• Cisco AR Project An augmented reality project created for Cisco (specific scope not publicly detailed).

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• Snap Inc. (Snapchat AR / AR Studio): Snap operates the AR Lens platform and AR Studio ecosystem used by brands to launch mass-market AR marketing campaigns, a broader incumbent that competes with specialist AR agencies like Circ.us for branded AR budgets.
• Meta (Spark AR): Meta's Spark AR platform (and Ray-Ban Meta wearables) supplies brands with turnkey AR effects and filters on Instagram/Facebook, displacing custom-built agency work in the same budget pool as Circ.us.

Direct peers

• 8th Wall (Niantic): 8th Wall provides a web-based AR development platform used by agencies and brands to ship browser AR campaigns, the same category of mobile AR activations Circ.us delivered for Red Bull, HBO, and Cisco.
• Unit9: Unit9 is an award-winning production company with an AR/VR and interactive experience division serving global brands, broadly overlapping Circ.us's mobile AR agency model.
• Zappar: Zappar is an AR content and platform company that builds mobile AR experiences and packaging-integrated activations for CPG and retail brands, directly overlapping Circ.us's Red Bull-style "scan the can" use cases.
• Marxent Labs: Marxent builds AR/3D commerce and marketing experiences for retailers and CPG brands, overlapping Circ.us's computer-vision-driven brand activations.
• Tool of North America: Tool is a creative production and experiential agency that has shipped award-winning AR/VR campaigns for brands like Nike and Google, putting it in the same specialist agency tier as Circ.us.
• Kabaq Studios: Kabaq is an AR/VR studio focused on immersive experiences for food, beverage, and entertainment brands, making it a close creative and vertical peer to Circ.us's branded AR work for Ben & Jerry's and HBO.
• INDE (now part of BulkyPix): INDE is an AR experience studio producing large-scale AR installations and mobile AR campaigns for entertainment and consumer brands, comparable to Circ.us's brand activation portfolio.

Regional players

• North Kingdom: North Kingdom is a Swedish digital experience agency known for award-winning interactive and AR campaigns for global brands; comparable to Circ.us in craft but serves a European client base.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Circ.us