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Apple reportedly acquires AR headset startup Mira

Apple reportedly acquires AR headset startup Mira
The details of the acquisition and the amount paid by Apple remain unclear at the moment.

 

American tech giant Apple has reportedly bought Mira, an AR startup that makes headsets for other companies and the U.S. military, The Verge reported, citing unnamed sources and a post from the private Instagram account of Mira’s chief executive officer Ben Taft yesterday. The news comes just a day after Apple unveiled its first-ever mixed-reality headset Vision Pro.

 

While the details of the acquisition and the amount paid by Apple remain unclear, the report noted that Apple has confirmed the acquisition. In the company’s typical fashion, Apple told the media organization that from time to time it purchases smaller tech companies and generally does not discuss its purpose or plans. It is unclear but anticipated that the iPhone maker will continue with Mira’s military contracts that include a small agreement with the U.S. Air Force and a $702,351 agreement with the Navy, according to government records and press releases, the report noted.

 

Founded in 2016, Mira specializes in creating augmented reality and virtual reality solutions. According to Taft’s LinkedIn profile, the startup had raised $18M from Sequoia, Founder’s Fund, Marc Benioff, and more. Mira’s headsets have been deployed globally across 30 countries and the company built a licensing division that partnered with Universal Studios and Nintendo, the CEO’s profile read.

 

One of Mira’s notable products is the Mira Prism Pro, an AR headset that features a display that seamlessly blends with the real world, brings information into view with the flip of the lens, and has a hands-free, intuitive interface controlled by the user’s gaze. According to The Verge’s report, Mira’s contract with the U.S. Air Force for military pilots at Travis Air Force Base is to use Prism Pro for displaying things like heads-up equipment instructions.

 

The Tim Cook-led company has further brought on at least 11 of Mira’s employees as part of the acquisition, The Verge report said, citing a private Instagram post by Mira CEO. “Excited for Mira’s next chapter, at Apple :),” Taft wrote in the post’s caption and as reported by the media organization. “7 year journey from dorm room to acquisition,” the caption added.

 

The timing of the news is noteworthy as it is coming soon after Apple unveiled the much-awaited and its first-ever mixed reality headset Apple Vision Pro at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which kicked off Monday. The MR headset is powered by the world’s first spatial operating system visionOS, features an ultra-high-resolution display system along with an advanced Spatial Audio system, and has two chips, M2 and R1. The much-awaited headset, which is priced at a whopping $3,499, is also Apple’s first major new product category in nearly a decade.

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