The competition in AR is fierce, with a huge amount of financing of 500 million yuan appearing in the track!

The AR industry is reaching a major turning point...

Recently, Hangzhou Lingban Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Lingban Technology") completed a C+ round of financing of nearly 500 million yuan, led by the Hefei Municipal Government and followed by Hefei Xinchuang Investment Holding Co., Ltd. It is reported that this round of funds will be used to enhance B-side services and production and research capabilities, and jointly build an XR ecosystem with Hefei.

The completion of this largest single financing in the domestic AR field not only indicates that AR products are about to enter the fast lane of commercialization, but also indicates that the competition in the field is fierce. All parties are accelerating their gathering and striving to compete for this "piece of cake".

Lingban joins hands with Hefei and will build three major centers

Founded in 2014, Lingban Technology focuses on the research and development and industrialization of human-computer interaction technology products. The company combines cutting-edge Al and AR technologies with industry applications, and is committed to creating super workers in the intelligent era. It is a leading company in the domestic AR field.

This financing is the first time that Hefei has laid out the AR industry, which shows how much importance it attaches to it. After the financing is completed, Lingban will officially sign a contract with Hefei Xinzhan High-tech Zone to implement three major projects: the Industrial Metaverse Headquarters, the Ecological Center, and the R&D Center.

After years of accumulation, Lingban Technology has launched three flagship AR glasses products: X-Craft, Class 2, and Air Pro, and developed an AR operating system and SDK toolkit to build a complete and comprehensive technical solution.

Currently, Lingban Technology's AR equipment and technologies have been successfully put into use in more than 70 countries and regions around the world and achieved commercial application because they are suitable for dozens of sub-sectors such as oil and gas, manufacturing, automobiles, and chemicals.

Lingban, which has the first-mover advantage, is focusing on the AR field for comprehensive layout. In the future, it will continue to increase investment in AR technology research and development and ecosystem construction, accelerate product iteration and upgrading, and compete for a larger market share.

Production capacity is ready to trigger a new round of consumption revolution

AR technology overlays various digital information on the real world, achieving the combination and interaction of the virtual and the real. It is regarded as the next generation computing platform after smartphones and is entering the consumer market.

According to a report by research firm IDC, China's AR shipments will reach 240,000 units in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 134%, and the market growth rate is expected to reach 101%. As display devices and chip performance improve, AR hardware conditions mature, and consumers become more accepting of new types of interactions, AR commercialization is accelerating.

But it is worth noting that AR is not only a form of hardware, but also an emerging industry connected by software, algorithms and applications.

From a technical perspective, visual display, spatial computing, and human-computer interaction are the core support for AR products. Each link requires in-depth collaboration among manufacturers to build a complete industrial chain.

Taking visual display as an example, its core components include visual chips, display devices, optical components, etc.; spatial computing requires deep learning algorithms for scene analysis and integration of virtual and real; human-computer interaction requires breakthroughs in interactive technologies such as voice and gesture.

When hardware and basic algorithms mature, ecological construction and application innovation will become the key to promoting the popularization of AR. In the long run, the AR industry needs to incubate application platforms covering various segments and form a generalized demand to support hardware consumption in order to promote the stable and positive development of the industry.

Application scenarios expand, industrial manufacturing becomes a hot spot

The real value of AR technology lies in creating new application scenarios and use cases.

In the near future, the practical application of AR in the industrial field has become a hot topic. Typical application scenarios include remote collaboration, virtual factories, intelligent inspections, preventive maintenance, digital twins, etc., which can effectively improve work efficiency.

Taking Lingban Technology as an example, its AR products have been applied in projects of central state-owned enterprises such as China National Petroleum Corporation, State Grid Corporation of China, China General Nuclear Power Corporation, and Juhua Group. It is reported that the company's AR business revenue in 2023 will increase by 200% year-on-year, of which the growth rate of industrial business will reach 100%.

In other fields, AR's innovative applications are also flourishing. In the cultural and tourism scene, AR can realize functions such as voice translation, browsing services, and scenic spot solutions; in addition, the medical field is also a hot spot, which can assist doctors in pre-hospital emergency treatment, remote consultation, remote monitoring, and medical training, effectively reducing redundant handover links, improving resource circulation efficiency, and allowing more patients to receive timely assistance.

Apple is making great efforts, and the AR market is expected to explode in 2024

If the current AR industry is still in the climbing stage, then the entry of Apple, a heavyweight player, will undoubtedly become a new trigger point.

It is recognized in the industry that Apple has a significant influence in the consumer electronics market. Relying on the amazing purchasing power of "Apple fans" around the world, Apple has repeatedly created sales miracles.

In 2007, the launch of the iPhone completely changed the mobile phone market. The birth of the iPad in 2010 ushered in the era of tablet computers. Now, the Apple Vision Pro, which will be released for the first time in February, is Apple's first head-mounted display product, and it is believed that it will also inject detonator into the industry blowout.

Summarize

After the early technical preparation and market cultivation, the AR industry is on the verge of an explosion due to the superposition of multiple factors. As an emerging consumer electronics track, AR carries the energy of technological and industrial transformation, and will surely attract continuous investment in capital and talent.

Looking ahead, AR will first be implemented in vertical fields, and then penetrate into a wide range of consumer scenarios, ultimately changing the way people interact with the information world. Leading companies in the industry should make early arrangements to seize the first-mover advantage, while latecomers may wish to focus on breaking through key technical pain points and seeking ecological empowerment. This will be the opening and competition of a trillion-level blue ocean, and global technology companies and capital are gearing up for this new opportunity.

What will the future of AR look like? Let’s look forward to it together.