RealWear looks to reshape industrial AR with Almer acquisition

In a move that the interested parties said would supercharge the industrial adoption of wearable computer technology, and also redefine the industrial augmented reality (AR) market, provider of wearable computing for industrial applications RealWear has swooped to buy ultra-compact, user-friendly AR headsets manufacturer Almer Technologies.

Headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, Almer Technologies was founded in 2021 following a research project at the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH). The company is led by CEO Sebastian Beetschen and chief technology officer Timon Binder, and currently employs 35 people. With the development of the Almer Arc AR glasses range, the company said it was responding to an increasing demand for augmented reality technology in the industrial landscape.

The acquisition – uniting two complementary portfolios, and strategically and financially backed by enterprise AR software developer TeamViewer – is described by the parties as marking a “significant leap” forward in the mission to empower frontline workers worldwide with “cutting-edge” AR technology. It brings together RealWear’s market presence and voice-operated services with Almer’s subscription-based AR headsets. The firm’s subscription-based hardware model also opens new avenues for customer engagement, brining AR technology to a broader range of businesses.

The companies said that as the industrial sector increasingly turns to digital services to enhance productivity and safety, the demand for intuitive, wearable AR devices has surged. By incorporating Almer’s AR headsets into its lineup, RealWear said it can now offer a comprehensive range of wearable offerings for diverse industrial environments.

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. The integration of Almer’s team is also set to accelerate RealWear’s product development cycle, and when combined with TeamViewer’s software capabilities, is said to create a “powerful” ecosystem for delivering end-to-end AR offerings tailored to the specific needs of industrial customers.

“[Almer’s] successes in Europe are paralleled with a vision to drive AR adoption worldwide,” said RealWear CEO Chris Parkinson. “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.

TeamViewer has been a key partner and a strategic minority investor to both RealWear and Almer prior to the acquisition, and will maintain this role moving forward. TeamViewer’s software, RealWear’s and Almer’s have already been combined to see use at firms such as Coca-Cola HBC, Ford and Samsung SDS.

“RealWear and Almer together unite the brightest minds in wearable computing to shape the future of the industry,” said TeamViewer CEO Oliver Steil, who has joined RealWear’s board of directors.

“Investing in RealWear and supporting their growth is a strategic move for us and a 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.”