Apple has bought Mira, a Los Angeles-based startup that specializes in AR headsets, for an undisclosed sum. The deal was confirmed by Apple after reports that several Mira employees had joined the tech giant.
Mira was founded in 2016 by Ben Taft, who served as the CEO until the acquisition. The startup had raised $17 million from investors, including Sequoia and Blue Bear Capital, and had Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, as an advisor. Mira had developed AR headsets for various customers, such as Universal Studios for its Nintendo World theme parks, where visitors could experience Mario Kart in AR. The startup also had contracts with the US Air Force and Navy for providing AR headsets for military pilots and training purposes.
Apple’s acquisition of Mira comes as the company has launched its Vision Pro headset, a $3,499 mixed reality device that offers a immersive 3D interface that responds to eye, hand and voice commands. The Vision Pro headset is expected to go on sale in the US in early 2024 and is powered by visionOS, the first spatial operating system that allows users to interact with digital information as if it were physically present in their environment.
Apple has been investing heavily in AR and VR technologies, and the acquisition of Mira could help the company enhance its hardware and software capabilities in this domain.
Mira, an AR headset maker has military ties with US Air Force and Navy. Mira is a startup that makes augmented reality (AR) headsets that work with iPhones. Mira’s flagship product is the Mira Prism Pro, which has been used by the US Air Force and Navy for training purposes.
Mira was founded in 2016 and raised $1.5 million in seed funding from notable investors such as will.i.am (looks cool, isn’t), Sequoia Capital, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Jaunt VR founder Jens Christensen, and others. The company’s vision was to create a low-cost AR headset that leverages the power of the iPhone to render immersive graphics and has been successful in doing so till now.
The Mira Prism Pro works by inserting an iPhone into the headset, which then reflects the AR images onto a transparent visor. The headset also comes with a wireless controller, for interacting with the AR content. Mira used Unity’s game development tools to make it easy for developers to create apps and games for its platform. Which attracts lot of developers to try their hands on their platform.
Mira also had a number of corporate and military clients, including the US Air Force and Navy, which used and continue using the Mira Prism Pro to teach pilots, how to use heads-up displays. However, it is not clear that, whether this was a factor in Apple’s decision to buy the company.
Apple did not disclose the terms of the deal or its plans for Mira. However, the acquisition shows Apple’s continued interest and investment in AR and VR technologies, and hints at its long-term vision for shaping the future of immersive media.
Mira Prism Pro
The Mira Prism Pro is a lightweight and affordable device that lets you experience immersive and interactive content in the real world. Whether you want to play games, watch videos, learn new skills, or collaborate with others, the Mira Prism Pro can enhance your reality with endless possibilities.
Mira Prism Pro is a new augmented reality headset that lets you experience immersive and interactive content in your own environment. Some of its features are:
- High-resolution display with a wide field of view
- Lightweight and comfortable design with adjustable straps
- Wireless connection to your smartphone or tablet
- Built-in speakers and microphone for audio and voice control
- Compatible with various AR apps and games
