Google acquires AR glasses startup North

Google has acquired Canadian AR glasses company North. North started his business in 2012 under the name “Thalmic Labs.” North will join Google’s team based in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada.

“We’re excited to have North join us in our broader efforts to build useful devices and services,” said Google’s senior vice president of Devices and Services. This will help us continue our work and investment in the future of ambient computing.” Rick Osterloh’s blog post.

North has discontinued the current Focals 1.0 and will not ship Focals 2.0 . The company launched Focals 1.0 last January for $999. Within a month, Focals 1.0 was discounted by $400 and sold for $599. However, North discontinued sales of Focals 1.0 last December.

Support for existing customers will continue through the end of 2020, North said. Notably, the company plans to offer refunds on all Focals purchases .

Google did not disclose financial details of the deal, but it is estimated to be worth about $180 million. North co-founders Stephen Lake, Matthew Bailey, and Aaron Grant said in a separate blog post that the partnership will significantly advance their shared vision.

“This acquisition is a great fit for North and, importantly, keeps us here in Kitchener-Waterloo. We are proud to have grown the company in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. , we are grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the community,” North co-founders said in a joint statement.

It will be interesting to see how Google leverages North’s experience in smart glasses as it moves towards its ambient computing goals.