RealWear acquires smartglasses innovator Almer to supercharge the industrial adoption of wearables, backed by TeamViewer

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 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.

Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, who has joined RealWear's Board of Directors, 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 bold 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.”

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.