Picture yourself traveling on a motorcycle at 160 kilometers per hour, with a floating arrow on the road guiding your next turn. No phone or dashboard, just your helmet equipped with a tiny lens.
This isn’t a prototype; it’s set to hit European streets later this year. This glimpse offers insight into the future of smart glasses technology.
In recent years, major technology players have been quietly making strides in this direction. Meta launched AI-enhanced Ray-Ban glasses in 2023, Google is developing Android XR, and Apple may be entering the fray. Recently, Samsung was reported to be launching its first AI-capable smart glasses, co-designed with Gentle Monster, at an event in London this July. Companies in China, like Huawei, Alibaba, and Xiaomi are also making significant advancements.
Market trends indicate a surge in adoption. Global shipments of AI glasses reached 8.7 million units in 2025, reflecting a growth of over 300% from the previous year, with projections suggesting that this number will exceed 15 million this year, according to Omdia.
Manufacturers and component producers are also gearing up for the next phase. One noteworthy company is the South Korean startup LetinAR, which has been developing optical technology crucial for wearable smart glasses over the past decade.
Recently, it secured $18.5 million from Korea Development Bank and Lotte Ventures in anticipation of an IPO in 2027.
Previously, LG Electronics, a previous investor, has also initiated its own AI smart glasses development, illustrating how seriously the tech giant views this emerging category.
LetinAR co-founders, CEO Jaehyeok Kim and CTO Jeonghun Ha, who have known each other since high school, established the company in 2016.
The lens that makes it wearable
LetinAR specializes in the optical module that underpins smart glasses. This small lens component is essential for projecting images within the user’s view. Ha noted that creating a lightweight, compact, and energy-efficient module that offers clarity is the industry’s primary engineering hurdle. Achieving these qualities compactly is what the company aims to realize.
According to Kim, “AI glasses represent the next technological leap,” adding that the optical module poses the greatest challenge for manufacturers who need a slimmer, lighter lens that conserves battery life.
LetinAR aspires to be the go-to partner for smart glasses producers. Their technology, dubbed PinTILT, arranges miniature optical elements within a lens to direct light specifically into the user’s eye rather than dispersing it.
Consider a TV that emits light throughout the room; however, only light reaching your eyes is relevant. Most existing optical technologies, particularly the prevalent waveguide, function similarly to a TV, distributing light across a wide area to create an image. While this results in a thin lens, it is inefficient, as much light is lost, resulting in dim images and quick battery drain.
Conversely, a mirror-based method known as birdbath can convey light directly to the eye but tends to be bulky and impractical for everyday glasses.
PinTILT circumvents these limitations. By channeling only the light that can enter the eye and meticulously configuring each tiny internal element, LetinAR asserts it can produce brighter images in a sleek design using less energy. In a sector where every gram and battery hour is essential, this innovation represents a significant advancement.
Several competitors exist within this space, including WaveOptics, DigiLens, and Lumus.
Customers
LetinAR’s optical modules are already in use. Its clients include Japan’s NTT QONOQ Devices and Dynabook (formerly Toshiba Client Solutions), providing the startup with valuable large-scale manufacturing experiences. The firm is also negotiating with major tech players on the next generation of AI glasses, though details remain confidential.
A demanding client is Aegis Rider, a Swiss tech firm that emerged from ETH Zurich’s Computer Vision Lab. Aegis Rider is designing an AI-based AR helmet that displays navigation, speed, and safety alerts directly in the rider’s line of sight, appearing anchored to the roadway as though painted in reality.
LetinAR’s module is integrated within the helmet, with Aegis Rider aiming for the EU and Swiss markets by 2026.
With recent funding, which brings total investments to $41.7 million, the company plans to scale operations as the AI glasses market transitions from early adopters to mass market production, according to Kim. He highlighted that hardware devices like AI glasses are poised to embed AI further into daily life.
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