From CNBC:

At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Rokid’s augmented reality devices are on full display. The AR glasses are being showcased for consumers, and in particular, for use in industrial settings. Rokid’s latest funding round, led by the government of Hefei city, will focus on developing AR technology for factories.

The 500 million yuan ($70 million) funding round for Rokid was led by Hefei city, a hub for automobiles and semiconductor manufacturing near Shanghai. Rokid’s AR glasses allow for digital images to be imposed over the real world and will be developed for industrial use as part of the new agreement with Hefei city.

Rokid has already established itself in Chinese industries such as energy, where it has over 60% market share. The company’s focus on industrial use of AR technology is meant to improve safety checks and reduce training times for workers. The goal is to develop new technology with industrial customers before making it more accessible to consumers.

As part of the agreement with Hefei city, Rokid will establish an “industrial metaverse headquarters, an ecosystem center and a research and development center” in the city. This move aligns with Beijing’s goal of building up domestic capabilities in advanced manufacturing, despite the trend of supply chain diversification away from China.

Rokid plans to make more tech announcements in the future and is bullish about the potential of AI integration with its AR devices. CEO Misa Zhu sees a future where AI and AR technologies fundamentally change people’s lives in the next five to ten years, gathering and organizing data for natural display and usage.



Read more: China’s Rokid rival to Apple’s Vision Pro raises $70 million