RealWear acquires AR startup Almer to accelerate industrial adoption of smart glasses and wearables

RealWear has acquired Almer Technologies, a Swiss augmented reality (AR) startup known for its compact and user-friendly AR headsets. Although the financial details of the acquisition remain undisclosed, the move is expected to reshape the industrial AR landscape by accelerating the adoption of wearable AR solutions that enhance frontline worker productivity.

The acquisition, supported by enterprise AR software provider TeamViewer, represents a major step toward empowering frontline workers globally with advanced AR technology. As part of the acquisition agreement, Almer’s co-founders will join RealWear’s executive team, creating a leadership group focused on driving global AR adoption and making the technology more accessible for frontline professionals.

With TeamViewer’s strategic and financial backing, RealWear is positioned to further expand its impact on the industrial wearables market. Combining software and hardware, the company aims to offer top-tier productivity solutions that maximize value for customers.

As the industrial sector increasingly embraces digital tools to boost productivity and safety, the demand for intuitive wearable AR devices has risen sharply. This acquisition brings together RealWear’s established market presence with Almer’s subscription-based AR headset model, providing customers with flexible and scalable solutions.

“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 worldwide. 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 merges RealWear’s rugged, voice-operated solutions with Almer’s compact, user-friendly AR headsets. Almer has quickly gained industry recognition with its focus on execution and customer-centric solutions, setting a new standard in enterprise AR.

Almer Technologies CEO Sebastian Beetschen remarked, “Our approach to AR for frontline workers has allowed us to create solutions that are intuitive and easy to use. We’re excited to bring our expertise to RealWear and continue advancing solutions for frontline workers.”

TeamViewer, already a strategic partner and investor in both RealWear and Almer, will maintain this role. Major global companies like Coca-Cola HBC, Ford, and Samsung SDS have benefited from TeamViewer’s software combined with RealWear’s and Almer’s wearable technology to achieve efficiency gains and cost savings.

Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer and a member of RealWear’s Board, 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.”

Founded in 2016, the Vancouver, Washington-based RealWear is a leader in wearable computing for industrial applications. The company provides hands-free, wearable solutions designed to help frontline workers perform safely and effectively. The company is on a mission to empower more than 2 billion frontline workers worldwide with top-tier technology.

Almer Technologies, founded in 2021 as a spin-off from a research project at ETH Zurich, is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, and led by CEO Sebastian Beetschen and CTO Timon Binder. With the development of Almer Arc, a compact AR headset, Almer is addressing the growing demand for AR solutions in industrial environments.