Graphine combines with Unity

Graphine, a Belgium-based video game graphics technology spinout of Ghent University, has been acquired by video game development engine creator Unity Technologies for an undisclosed sum.
Founded in 2013, Graphine sells a software development kit called Granite SDK that exploits an approach known as texture streaming to improve the graphical resolution of textures in video games and other 3D interactive applications.
Texture streaming also helps limit boot-up times and hardware requirements for the end-user.
Following the acquisition, Unity is expected to retain Graphine’s R&D operation in Ghent while introducing the texture streaming technology to the customer base for its game development engine.
Graphine was co-founded by Aljosha Demeulemeester, Charles-Frederik Hollemeersch and Bart Pieters, three former members of the IDLab research group focused on internet and data science applications.
IDLab operates from Ghent University and University of Antwerp in collaboration with nanoelectronics research institute Imec, whose iStart accelerator helped launch Graphine in 2013 with an undisclosed amount of funding.
In the following year, Graphine took on an undisclosed amount of debt from Flemish government-owned investment unit Participatie Maatschappij Vlaanderen, through the latter’s spinout-focused Sofi 1 fund.
Aljosha Demeulemeester, now CEO of Graphine, said: “Streaming is an essential technology for highly immersive and detailed virtual worlds. The video game industry keeps growing and interactive 3D is already revolutionising many industries using virtual reality and augmented reality.
“Unity has been extremely successful in accomplishing its mission of democratising game development and we are very excited to become part of its journey.”