In Our Corner: Sightful, The First Device-Agnostic Operating System for Augmented Reality
Initial Investment: May 2021
Most Recent Financing: May 2023
Lead Investor: Corner
Amid constant processing, storage, and connectivity improvements, laptop manufacturers have persistently strived to offer portable computing experiences rivaling that of their desktop counterparts. However, flexibility often comes with compromises. From small screens and privacy concerns to the added bulk of peripheral devices, laptop users have long found themselves grappling with a slew of inconveniences in their pursuit of optimal productivity.
With the global pandemic, remote work exploded, increasing our reliance on digital tools and underscoring the constraints of existing laptop design. Traditional laptop screens feel increasingly limiting as our workdays now revolve around them, and the aspiration to ‘work from anywhere’ is frequently undermined by the bulk of extra monitors and devices.
Meanwhile, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies are beginning to redefine the paradigms for collaboration, education, and productivity. Merging the physical and digital worlds, these technologies are unlocking the potential for immersive workspaces tailored to individual needs – something that traditional laptop design has struggled to offer. With AR/VR, we’re not just experiencing a tech trend; we’re on the cusp of a cultural shift set to redefine the future of work.
Enter Sightful.
Founded in 2020 by PrimeSense co-founder Tamir Berliner, and Magic Leap-alum, Tomer Kahan, the Tel-Aviv-based company is building the operating system (“OS”) for augmented reality. Sightful’s first product, Spacetop, aims to serve as a virtual substitute for multi-device workstations, combining the power of cloud computing and augmented reality to offer a superior product that can be used at home, in transit, and on the go.
How It Works
The world’s first augmented reality laptop, Spacetop is a simple, but profound concept: An 100-inch laptop that fits effortlessly into your backpack.
On the surface, Spacetop is a compact and souped-up 13” foldable keyboard tethered to a pair of NReal AR glasses. Once wearing the Spacetop glasses, they are instantly swept into a 100-inch, customizable digital workspace providing complete privacy, even in public settings or outdoors. Despite missing the physical laptop screen, the Spacetop comes complete with key features including a web camera, e-ink sharing portal, keyboard tracking, spatial keys, trackpad gestures, Qualcomm 5G and CPU chipsets.
However, this is only the first step in Sightful’s more ambitious vision. Rather than producing their own AR glasses, Sightful aims to become the first device-agnostic operating system for AR devices, similar to how Windows or Mac OS dominate desktops and Android or iOS rule smartphones. They are focusing on building the software, not the hardware, that will power the AR revolution, believing that this is where the true opportunity lies.
In the News
In May 2023, Sightful emerged from three years of stealth building. The Spacetop Early Access program is now open, with the first 1,000 units being shipped to ‘web-forward’ users in July 2023. You can read more about it here.
Earlier this month, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro AR headset, its first foray into social computing. We believe Sightful can meaningfully compete with Apple in this growing market, giving consumers a dynamic, lightweight, and cost-effective, alternative to the VisionPro. Like Android in mobile and Windows in computing, it is never a one-company-take-all market, and we look forward to watching Sightful go toe-to-toe with Apple and other incumbents.
Overall, Apple’s launch is largely beneficial for Sightful and the expanding spatial computing market. Not only does it drive broader awareness to the capabilities of augmented reality and spatial computing, but it also helps more consumers discover Sightful, as people search for VisionPro and potential alternatives.
In a few short days, we’ve unlocked years’ worth of progress.
Our Take
When we decided to invest in Sightful in May 2021, the world was wrestling with the repercussions of COVID-induced lockdowns. Offices had transitioned to work-from-home setups with varying levels of success and we saw Sightful as an ingenious response to these challenges – a long-term solution for a rapidly growing sector of remote workers that presented both an immediate response to a global crisis and a visionary glimpse of the future. After funding their seed round in May 2021, we chose to double down on our conviction by leading Series A earlier this year.
Our investment was driven by three core beliefs: trust in the team of seasoned innovators with a track record of success; recognition of the constant technological advancements that continue to enhance Sightful’s product; and the increasingly globalized landscape of remote collaboration.
First, leveraging their collective knowledge and skills from Magic Leap and PrimeSense, whose technology now underpins Apple’s Face ID, the Sightful team brings decades of experience building products and solving complex problems at top spatial computing companies.
Secondly, Sightful’s approach to AR is both distinct and practical, showcasing their near-term actionability by bringing one of the first tangible AR products to market. While many are vying to build advanced hardware, Sightful’s focus on software capitalizes on these external developments to improve their product without extensive in-house, hardware-related R&D. As the hardware advances, we will see significant improvement in the user experience to create a truly untethered experience.
The ultimate vision is transformative, at scale. At Corner, we pride ourselves on the strength of our international network, spanning far and wide across the world’s largest global markets. With Spacetop, the Sightful team strives to make this collaboration with partners from Israel, London and Japan as seamless as putting on a pair of glasses.
We couldn’t be more excited about this vision.
Crazy? Maybe. Only time will tell. But there’s no team better equipped than Sightful to bring it to life.
To learn more about Sightful, check out their official website and teaser trailer. If you wish to participate in Spacetop Early Access apply here. If shaping the future of computing firsthand is more your speed, check out Sightful’s open roles.
