After four comes five, which I guess means another instalment of Intrepid Augmented Reality Companies powered by the Metaverse Insider. Just in case you missed the series from the off, here’s a link to the first one to get you started.
1. 8th Wall
8th Wall is an award-winning computer vision software company that makes it possible to build interactive, immersive content that can be experienced on any device — no app required. With the world’s largest augmented reality platform, 8th Wall supports billions of devices globally and has been used by developers, agencies and creative studios to create AR activations for brands across industry verticals including retail, food and beverage, travel and tourism, automotive, fashion, sports and entertainment. 8th Wall has powered WebAR experiences for top brands such as Nike, Porsche, Sony Pictures, Burger King, General Mills, British Gas, Heineken, McDonald’s, Swiss Airlines, Toyota, Red Bull, Adidas, COACH and more.
Based in Palo Alto, California, 8th Wall was founded in 2016 by Erik Murphy-Chutorian. Concerning its financial status, the startup has raised a total of $10.4 million in funding over two rounds.
2. Augmedics
With headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, Augmedics develops xvision™ — an Augmented-Reality Head-Mounted Display for spine surgery. xvision allows surgeons to see the patient’s anatomy through skin and tissue, as if they had “X-Ray Vision”. Based on Augmedics’ patented technology, the xvision system can project the patient’s anatomy, in real-time, directly onto the surgeon’s retina, with surgical precision and outstanding depth perception. xvision will increase safety in surgery, reduce x-ray radiation, and facilitate minimally invasive procedures.
With the xvision system, surgeons will benefit from close-up views of all the anatomical structures along the operation path, whether in open or percutaneous procedures.
Nissan Elimelech, a visionary entrepreneur with two decades’ experience in various medical device markets, founded Augmedics in 2014. To date, the Chicago startup has raised a total of $61.1 million in funding over six rounds.
3. Vuzix Corporation
Next up, we have Vuzix Corporation, a leading supplier of Smart-Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and products for defence, industrial and enterprise markets. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in Rochester, NYC, Oxford, UK, and Tokyo, Japan whose products are industry-leading and represent nearly 25 years of experience and innovation.
The Company’s products include personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and virtual and augmented reality. Vuzix also offers a suite of OEM optical components including industry-leading waveguides and display engine technology. The company holds over 200 patents and patents pending, and numerous IP licenses in the Video Eyewear field. Vuzix has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2022 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. It is one of the augmented reality companies to look out for.
4. XRHealth
Brookline, Massachusetts-based XRHealth operates state-of-the-art therapeutic care Virtual Clinics, utilizing proprietary FDA and CE registered medical Extended Reality (XR) technology (virtual and augmented reality). XRHealth integrates immersive XR technology, licensed clinicians, and advanced data analytics on one platform, providing a comprehensive therapeutic care solution for patients to receive treatment from the comfort of their homes.
Its immersive VR applications include real and virtual environments, games and exercises that treat various motor, cognitive, and physical symptoms. It specializes in physical therapy, occupational therapy, behavioural health management, pain management, Parkinson’s, ADHD, memory and cognitive training, Post-COVID-19 rehabilitation, support groups and more.
Founded by Eran Orr and Miki Levy, XRHealth has raised a total of $24.5 million in external funding over seven rounds since being set up in 2016.
5. Mojo Vision
A Saratoga, California-based company founded in 2015 by Drew Perkins and Michael Wiemer that has raised north of $204 million in funding over seven rounds, Mojo Vision is dedicated to developing products and platforms that re-imagine the intersection of ideas, information and people. Instead of being tethered to devices that are increasingly a distraction in many aspects of our lives, Mojo envisions delivering information and knowledge that is immediate but without the disruption of traditional devices.
Mojo is inventing the future of computing — Invisible Computing — which imagines a world where information is there when you need it, the technology fades away, and you can freely connect with others in a more meaningful and confident way.
Its signature product, the Mojo Lens, is a revolutionary design that uses a tiny microLED display the size of a grain of sand to share critical information, and smart sensors powered by solid-state batteries built into a scleral lens that also corrects your vision. It is one of the Augmented Reality Companies, you should definitely keep your eye on.
