AR Becomes the Interface
blade@blade
−4.8%
since Sep 30
The idea
I believe augmented reality becomes a real computing interface within a decade, rivaling physical screens, so I built a basket around companies whose futures are tied directly to that shift rather than buried inside a giant's product line. It holds the platform bets pushing AR as their main interface, plus the optics, chips, microdisplays, and software that make glasses actually work. I keep a 10% cash reserve to add when this volatile group sells off, and I'm holding for years, not trading the swings.
What it owns
- These two companies have staked their entire futures on AR glasses becoming the primary interface, not a side project. · Meta PlatformsIt is spending tens of billions annually through Reality Labs to make AR glasses the next computing interface., Snap Inc.It has wagered its entire future on the camera as the primary way people interact with the world through Spectacles AR glasses.22%
- Every AR device must bend and steer light into the human eye, and these companies make the optical components that do it. · Coherent Corp.It supplies the lasers and optics that steer light into the eye, a physical requirement every AR glasses design needs., Lumentum HoldingsIt makes the 3D sensing lasers that let AR headsets understand their surrounding environment, a requirement for AR interfaces., Himax TechnologiesIt makes display driver chips and LCoS microdisplay technology already designed into shipping AR glasses.21%
- The tiny screens inside AR glasses and the companies already shipping them represent the most direct exposure to the shift. · Universal DisplayIt collects royalties on microOLED panels, the tiny screens most AR glasses designs use for their displays., Kopin CorporationIt makes the postage-stamp microdisplays that go inside every AR headset, a pure play on display demand., Vuzix CorporationIt is one of the few companies shipping AR glasses today, primarily to enterprise buyers with waveguide optics.16%
- All-day AR glasses require low-power vision and processing chips that don't drain the battery, a critical bottleneck often overlooked. · AmbarellaIt makes low-power computer vision chips that let wearables see and understand their surroundings without draining batteries., Lattice SemiconductorIt makes small, low-power programmable chips that handle sensors and displays inside AR headsets today.16%
- Someone must build, render and enable interaction with the 3D content that replaces traditional screens in AR devices. · Unity SoftwareIt is the engine where most AR content gets built, making it the software toll booth on AR adoption., PTC Inc.Its Vuforia platform is one of the largest enterprise AR software systems, where AR generates revenue first., Immersion CorporationIt licenses haptics patents for touch feedback that makes virtual interfaces feel real in wearable and AR devices.15%
- Cash10%