Vancouver, US / Bern, Switzerland / Goeppingen, Germany - 14th November 2024 — 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 Vi Partner’s portfolio company, 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.

“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 RealWear’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.

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.

About Vi Partners

Vi Partners is the longest-established venture capital firm in Switzerland. For over 20 years, Vi Partners has supported innovative technology and healthcare companies, investing over CHF 350 million in 72 startups. Vi Partners-managed funds are backed by some of Switzerland’s most prominent companies and institutions, including ETH Zurich, ABB, Bühler, Credit Suisse, Hilti, McKinsey, Nestlé, Schindler, Sulzer, Suva, and ZKB, as well as the European Investment Fund and many other institutional investors.

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 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.