Top 10 Biggest AR Investments of 2019

AR or augmented reality-based technologies really made heads turn in 2018. The biggest achievement for the technology is that more industries are interested in adopting AR technology. We saw AR in marketing, AR in education and even in shopping.

The drivers behind such a change are inevitably the developers and companies who are in this field. And the newfound popularity means that many of the promising AR companies got investments from investors who operate inside and outside of the tech world.

In this article, we are going to list out the top ten AR companies that got the highest investments.

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1. Magic Leap ($2.6 Billion)

Magic Leap is a company that makes AR hardware and digital experiences. Their latest creation is the Magic Leap AR glasses which allows users to have AR experiences without the use of any gloves or controllers.

Their new concept called Magicverse is an AR shared space where users can experience and interact with digital experiences layered on the real world. With all the innovations that they are bringing to the industry, Magic Leap is among the biggest winners of investor funding rounds.

2. Niantic ($470 Million)

The famous company that brought us Pokémon Go and essentially, the first company to give many users the taste of AR.

Niantic has been very busy these days owing to the new titles that are in works, especially the new Harry Potter: Wizards unite. Niantic was raised to the status of one of the best game developers for mobile devices with Pokémon game.

Their new experiments also included AR-based games that are set to give users an immerse digital experience.

3. Rokid ($158.3 Million)

Rokid is an AR hardware manufacturer. Their new creation is the Rokid Glass which is anAI-powered AR glass that can create digital experiences without requiring any wired connection to a computer.

The Rokid Glass promises 4K resolution with real-time tracking. The device is still in its developmental phase and there are many updates planned for the glasses in future iterations like voice control and gesture recognition.

4. WayRay ($108 Million)

WayRay puts AR into navigation and reaps surprising results to say the least. The differentiating factor of WayRay compares to other AR device manufactures is that WayRay isn’t using a headset to over the AR elements, it uses the entire windshield of your car.

Now you have futuristic windshields that give you vital information while you are driving along.

They are now looking into building holographic displays that can be used in transportations, smart homes, and office buildings. They are now a company that actively research and develop Holographic AR technology.

5. Mojo vision ($108 Million)

Mojo Vision takes a different route from other AR companies by replacing screen altogether. They believe in the ethos of invisible computing.

We still don’t know what the company is planning with this, but they surprised everyone at the Augmented World Expo with the smallest, densest dynamic display ever made. A 0.48 mm screen that uses micro-LEDs to display images.

To have LEDs packed in such density in a microscopic form factor is nothing less than impressive. The company didn’t spill any more info on their plans for the future but they have certainly got the attention of big-time investors.

6. Leap Motion ($94.1 Million)

Leap Motion is a US based company specializing in making AR tracking technologies. Their software has made it possible for the user to interact with digital experiences without using specialized gloves. When you consider the state of current AR experiences, users have to wear specialized gloves that have sensors within them to provide special data.

Leap Motion is developing technologies that make AR more accessible and easier to use. The leap motion hardware can be embedded into existing headsets and they will be able to track the hand movements of the user without any gloves or controllers.

7. MelodyVR ($60 Million)

MelodyVR brings music concerts to your living room! Melody VR is a company that creates Virtual Reality experiences of live concerts so that the users can enjoy it at the convenience of their homes.

It is certainly a unique concept and MelodyVR has been able to execute it with the help of VR imaging technologies. Currently, the platform supports Oculus GO and Samsung Gear VR headsets.

They even take the tech a step further by letting the user choose where they want to stand in the crowd.

8. Vuzix ($47.9 Million)

Vuzix makes AR smart glasses that are very similar to ordinary glasses, a much welcoming change from the chunky AR headsets that we have been familiar with.

The glasses can project images into the glasses without having any wires dangling from the glasses. You don’t have to carry a separate tablet or laptop to use their smart AR glasses.

They received a very respectable investment owing to the innovation that they brought to the table. They recently announced that they have developed a fully autonomous facial recognition software for their glasses by partnering with NNTC, a UAE based IT solutions provider.

9. Ubiquity6 ($37.5 Million)

Ubiquity6 helps you to enjoy AR or VR experiences anywhere. With this platform, you can invite your friends to your AR creation to have a shared experience.

The platform is still in its early access. However, their vision on AR has turned heads and have gained them $37.5 Million.

Recently, Ubiquity6 announced that they are acquiring AR music startup Wavy. Ubiquity6 and Wavy share the common goal of bringing AR experiences to users that they can access anywhere.

10. Against Gravity ($29 Million)

Against Gravity is a VR and AR content creator who is responsible for the VR game Rec Room. Rec Room brings a new concept to the VR world where the players can explore rooms created by other players and the players themselves can create their own AR rooms for others to explore.

The platform is now about to surpass 1 million user-generated rooms. With its unique approach, the Rec Room is the VR world that keeps on getting bigger. The developers themselves have created some games that users can play in Rec Room and they include a variety of genres like first-person shooters, RPGs, sports, etc.

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Conclusion

With innovative AR companies now getting the right attention from investors, they have more funds to use in R&D and design.

This is a great driver for innovations and empowers startups to pursue their goals. 2019 is already shaping up to be a great time for AR, VR, and XR!