Almer Technologies acquires smart glasses AR startup RealWear

In a strategic move set to reshape the industrial Augmented Reality (AR) landscape, Almer Technologies has announced its acquisition by RealWear, a company in wearable computing for industrial applications. This strategic acquisition, financially backed by TeamViewer marks a significant leap forward in the mission to empower frontline workers worldwide with cutting-edge AR technology.

As the industrial sector increasingly turns to digital solutions to enhance productivity and safety, the demand for intuitive, wearable AR devices has surged. This acquisition unites RealWear’s market leadership with Almer’s innovative approach to meet this demand.

“I’m extremely excited to welcome Almer and its founders, Timon Binder and Sebastian Beetschen to RealWear. Their successes in Europe are paralleled with a vision to drive AR adoption worldwide. This impact can now be brought to the global market as part of the RealWear ecosystem. Almer’s innovative subscription-based hardware renting model will enhance our existing portfolio to offer more flexible and scalable solutions for our partners and customers. And we have secured TeamViewer’s renewed commitment and backing, strengthening our longstanding collaboration with the leading software company in the enterprise AR industry,” said Dr Chris Parkinson, CEO of RealWear.

The acquisition brings together a powerful combination of strengths. RealWear’s established market presence and rugged, voice-operated solutions are now complemented by Almer’s innovative, subscription-based AR headsets, known for their compact design and user-friendliness. With a relentless focus on execution and customer-centric solutions, Almer quickly gained recognition as a disruptive force in enterprise AR and set a new industry standard. This hardware synergy is further enhanced by TeamViewer’s enterprise AR software expertise, ensuring seamless integration between hardware and software. Together, these complementary technologies promise to deliver unparalleled value to industrial customers, with the potential to dramatically increase efficiency and reduce costs across sectors.

Sebastian Beetschen, CEO of Almer Technologies, added: “Almer’s innovative approach for frontline workers has enabled us to deliver industrial AR solutions that are the most intuitive and most effortless to use. We’re excited to bring in our expertise and speed of execution to RealWear and push the boundaries of frontline worker solutions.”

The impact of this acquisition is already being felt across industries. Global giants such as Coca-Cola HBC, Ford, and Samsung SDS have experienced significant efficiency gains and cost reductions by leveraging the combined power of RealWear’s and Almer’s wearable technology.

TeamViewer has been a key partner to both RealWear and Almer prior to the acquisition and will maintain this role moving forward. TeamViewer’s strategic minority investments in both companies reflect its dedication to advancing digital transformation in industrial settings.

Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, who has joined RealWear’s Board of Directors as part of this deal, commented: “RealWear and Almer together unite the brightest minds in wearable computing to shape the future of the industry. Investing in RealWear and supporting their growth is a strategic move for us and a bold stride into the future of industrial digital transformation. Our shared vision is to continue to integrate software and hardware innovatively, delivering world-class industrial productivity solutions for maximum customer value.”

“We are thrilled that the Almer team is joining forces with the American leader in the augmented reality space for frontline workers. This strategic move validates our early conviction that Almer is a technical front-runner. By uniting RW’s strong brand and extensive distribution network with Almer’s superior design, technology, and pioneering business model, the new entity is positioned to become an undisputed market leader. With impressive and complementary leadership teams steering this venture, the future of this combined entity promises to redefine the industry standard,” said Olivier Laplace, Managing Partner at Vi Partners, a Swiss venture capital firm and investor in Almer, who will join the board of directors of RealWare following the acquisition.

This acquisition significantly strengthens RealWear’s position in the industrial AR market. By incorporating Almer’s ultra-compact, user-friendly AR headsets into its lineup, RealWear now offers a comprehensive range of wearable solutions for diverse industrial environments. Almer’s innovative subscription-based hardware model opens new avenues for customer engagement, making cutting-edge AR technology more accessible to a broader range of businesses. The integration of Almer’s team, with their proven track record in AR innovation, is set to accelerate RealWear’s product development cycle. This consolidated expertise, combined with TeamViewer’s software capabilities, creates a powerful ecosystem for delivering end-to-end AR solutions tailored to the specific needs of industrial customers.

As part of the acquisition, Almer’s co-founders will join RealWear’s executive team, creating a unified leadership focused on accelerating global AR adoption. Ultimately, this acquisition is set to make advanced technology more accessible and user-friendly for frontline workers across the globe.

With this strategic acquisition and the continued backing of TeamViewer, RealWear is poised to lead the charge in the industrial wearables market. By blending software and hardware, the company aims to deliver world class productivity solutions for maximum customer value.

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