The AR Roundup: December 2017 / January 2018

Here’s what you missed in the AR+VR space for December ‘17/January ‘18

Numbers

• Digi-Capital issued its 2017 AR+VR investment report which concluded that 2017 was a record breaking year last year as startups raised over $3 billion across 28 AR/VR categories (Digi-Capital)
• Sony announced that 2 million PSVR units were sold since its launch in 2016. Sony’s headset broke the 1 million mark last June. According to analysts, PSVR makes up almost 50% of the million VR headsets sold in Q3 of 2017 (Engadget)
• ARtillry Intelligence report that estimates that the consumer augmented reality opportunity will grow from $975 million last year to $15.8 billion within four years (ARtillry)

Money

Big news

• Apple acquires Shazam for $400M (The Verge)
• Apple Gives $390 Million to Finisar for FaceID iPhone Component (Bloomberg)
• Mapbox acquires augmented reality activity tracking app Fitness AR (TechCrunch)

Platforms & Tools

• 3D vision tech startup Fyusion raises $22M (TechCrunch)

Hardware

• Varjo raises $6.7M to ship First Batch of “Human Eye-Resolution” VR Prototypes (Road to VR)

AR+VR Content

• Augmented reality startup Apprentice bags $2.5M to build on uptick in biopharma interest (Fierce BioTech)
• Cortopia raises $2.5M to evolve its VR game, Wand (Pocketgamer)
• MEL Science raised $2.2M to bring virtual reality chemistry lessons to schools in the U.S (CNBC)
• Portland’s Streem raises $1.7M for its home service professional AR solution (BizJournal)

Funds

• CrossCut Ventures announces $125 million fund targeting L.A. startups (VentureBeat)
• Inventure Launches €110m Nordic Early Stage Venture Capital Fund focusing on deep tech (FINSMES)
• U of Washington opens AR+VR research lab funded by Facebook, Google & Huawei (GeekWire)

News

Hardware

• Magic Leap finally unveils its augmented reality goggles, says it’s shipping Creator Version next year (The Verge)
• Vuzix debuts first Amazon Alexa-Enabled Digital Glasses at CES (The Verge)
• Lenovo Mirage Solo launches the first standalone Daydream VR headset with World Sense (TechCrunch)
• HTC launches the Vive Pro boasting higher resolution and built-in headphones along with a wireless adaptor (The Verge)
• Flex introduces its AR smartglasses reference design featuring Lumus display at CES (Next Reality)
• Merge debuts a 6DoF AR blaster at CES (The Verge)

Software

• AR gets its Fart app moment with fARTjacker (Mashable)
• Microsoft introduces Simplygon Cloud 3D object optimization for AR and VR (TechCrunch)
• Snapchat launches augmented reality developer platform Lens Studio (TechCrunch)
• Facebook opens AR platform and ‘World Effects’ to all developers (TechCrunch)
• Google launches Star Wars & Stranger Things AR stickers (USA Today)
• Mozilla Launches WebXR Viewer iOS App (Next Reality)
• Pokémon GO gaining iPhone exclusive AR+ mode powered by Apple’s ARKit (9to5 Mac)
• Google releases YouTube VR for Steam (The Verge)
• Facebook opens its social VR Spaces platform to HTC Vive (TechCrunch)
• Google shuts down Tango (TechCrunch)

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