Google Buys Hardware Startup Raxium to Fuel AR Ambitions

Google has struck a deal to buy Raxium, a five-year-old startup that develops tiny light-emitting diodes for displays used in augmented and mixed reality devices, according to people familiar with the deal. The acquisition, which has not been previously reported, is a sign that Google wants to own more of the physical components needed to develop such devices. It has been working on its own headsets for more than a decade, with limited results.

The purchase of Raxium follows acquisitions or business deals that Google rivals Apple, Meta Platforms and Snap have made for the same type of technology to help them also develop AR glasses or headsets, which would overlay digital information on a wearer’s field of view. Google could also use Raxium’s prototypes for other consumer devices it is building, from smartphones to its immersive videoconferencing hardware.