Vuzix, the veteran sensible glasses maker, introduced it’s secured a $5 million funding from Quanta Pc, the Taiwan-based ODM and main Apple assembler.
The most recent funding was the second tranche following an preliminary $10 million funding made by Quanta in September 2024, which included the acquisition of Vuzix widespread inventory at $1.30 per share. On the time, Vuzix anticipated a complete of $20 million from Quanta.
Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix, notes the funding will likely be used to boost Vuzix’s waveguide manufacturing capabilities, one thing he says will assist Vuzix ship “the world’s most inexpensive, light-weight, and performance-driven AI sensible glasses for mass-market adoption.”
Moreover, Travers says the funding “marks one other essential milestone in strengthening our partnership with Quanta and increasing the capabilities of our cutting-edge waveguide manufacturing facility.”
Based in 1997, Vuzix has largely serviced enterprise with its evolving slate of sensible glasses, which have usually focused a lot of industrial roles, together with healthcare, manufacturing, and warehousing.
The corporate additionally produces its personal waveguides for each in-house use and licensing. Up to now, Vuzix has labored to combine its waveguide tech with Garmin, Avegant, an unnamed US Fortune 50 tech firm, and an unnamed U.S. protection provider.
Whereas the corporate has made a number of early shopper gadgets within the 2010s, together with V920 video eyewear and STAR 1200 AR headset, in November 2024, Vuzix launched the Z100 sensible glasses, its first pair of glossy, AI‑assisted sensible glasses, priced at $500.
Its Z100 sensible glasses embrace a 640 × 480 monochrome inexperienced microLED waveguide, and have been designed to pair with smartphones to show notifications, health metrics, maps, focusing on on a regular basis shoppers and enterprise prospects alike.
Notably, the funding additionally coincides with higher market curiosity in sensible glasses on the entire. Google introduced final month it’s partnering with eyewear corporations Warby Parker and Mild Monster to launch a line of modern sensible glasses working Android XR.
Meta additionally not too long ago confirmed it’s increasing its partnership with Ray-Ban Meta-maker EssilorLuxottica to create Oakley-branded sensible glasses, anticipated to launch on June twentieth, 2025.
In the meantime, rumors counsel that each Samsung and Apple are aiming to launch their very own sensible glasses within the close to future, with stories sustaining that Samsung may launch a tool this 12 months, and Apple as quickly as subsequent 12 months.
