Bose to Invest $50 Million in Startups That Develop Apps for New AR Platform

Bose will invest up to $50 million in startups that develop apps, services and technology for the new Bose AR augmented-reality audio platform it introduced at SXSW, said the company in a Friday announcement. “Unlike other augmented reality products and platforms, Bose AR doesn't change what you see, but knows what you're looking at -- without an integrated lens or phone camera,” it said. “Rather than superimposing visual objects on the real world, Bose AR adds an audible layer of information and experiences, making every day better, easier, more meaningful, and more productive.” A “minuscule, wafer-thin” acoustics package developed specifically for the Bose AR represents “the future of mobile micro-sound,” it said. It can be built “seamlessly” into headphones, eyewear and other wearables and it allows “simple head gestures, voice, or a tap on the wearable to control content,” said the company. Bose developed prototype smart glasses for the platform that are Bluetooth- Siri- and Google Assistant-compatible, it said. Bose already is in collaborations with ASICS Studio, Strava, TripAdvisor, TuneIn and Yelp, and additional agreements will be announced later because they have nondisclosure terms, it said. The Bose AR software development kit will be available this summer, as will “limited quantities of a refined and updated version of the Bose AR glasses,” said Bose.