RealWear acquires smartglasses innovator Almer to supercharge the industrial adoption of wearables, backed by TeamViewer
The strategic acquisition is set to accelerate adoption of wearable AR solutions in industrial settings and boost frontline worker productivity.
VANCOUVER, BC and BERN, Switzerland and GOEPPINGEN, Germany, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move set to reshape the industrial Augmented Reality (AR) market, RealWear, the global leader in wearable computing for industrial applications, today announced its acquisition of Almer Technologies, a Swiss pioneer in ultra-compact, user-friendly AR headsets. This acquisition, strategically and financially backed by TeamViewer, the leading provider of enterprise AR software, 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 world wide. 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.
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."
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. Global giants such as Coca-Cola HBC, Ford, Samsung SDS and many more have experienced significant efficiency gains and cost reductions by leveraging the combined power of TeamViewer's software, RealWear's and Almer's wearable technology.
Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, who has joined RealWear's Board of Directors, 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 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."
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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About RealWear
RealWear, a global leader in hands-free, wearable computing solutions for frontline workers, was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, USA. With a vision of creating a world where every frontline worker is equipped to perform at their best, work safely, and take pride in the quality of their work, RealWear is on a mission to empower more than 2 billion frontline workers with the best technology solutions and support.
RealWear's rugged, voice-operated solutions have earned global recognition for revolutionizing the way frontline workers perform all tasks in challenging environments, while returning positive impact to the company and our environment. RealWear's commitment to innovation and safety has earned it more than 22 prestigious innovation awards, including Best Head-worn device (Augmented World Expo) and Best Solution for Manufacturing and Automotive (XR Today). RealWear's story has been featured in Wall Street Journal, CNBC, TechCrunch and hundreds of other media outlets.
About Almer
Almer Technologies was founded in 2021 following a research project at the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH). Headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, the company is led by CEO Sebastian Beetschen and CTO Timon Binder and currently employs 35 people. With the development of the innovative AR glasses Almer Arc, Almer Technologies is responding to the currently increasing demand for Augmented Reality technology in the industrial landscape.
About TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a leading global technology company that provides a connectivity platform to remotely access, control, manage, monitor, and repair devices of any kind – from laptops and mobile phones to industrial machines and robots. Although TeamViewer is free of charge for private use, it has around 640,000 subscribers and enables companies of all sizes and from all industries to digitalize their business-critical processes through seamless connectivity. Against the backdrop of global megatrends like device proliferation, automation and new work, TeamViewer proactively shapes digital transformation and continuously innovates in the fields of Augmented Reality, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Since the company's foundation in 2005, TeamViewer's software has been installed on more than 2.5 billion devices around the world. The company is headquartered in Goppingen, Germany, and employs more than 1,500 people globally. In 2023, TeamViewer achieved a revenue of around EUR 627 million. TeamViewer SE (TMV) is listed at Frankfurt Stock Exchange and belongs to the MDAX. Further information can be found at https://www.teamviewer.com/.