US technology giant Qualcomm has invested $10 million in Bath-based spectacles company Inspecs to develop 'smart eyewear'. The California-headquartered business has taken a subscription for 7,503,001 new ordinary shares of 1 pence each in Inspecs, with the funds supporting its growth.
Strategic Collaboration
Inspecs, which recently agreed to be acquired by entrepreneurs Luke Johnson and Ian Livingstone for £85.4 million, said the commercial collaboration would create 'a connected, technology-enabled platform that intends to redefine eyewear'.
Robin Totterman, founder of Inspecs Group, said: 'For many years we have believed that smart eyewear is the next frontier for wearable technology and we are delighted to be partnering with Qualcomm Technologies to deliver on our ambitions. We believe this investment and strategic collaboration will accelerate adoption in a category that is about to scale rapidly, and position Inspecs and Qualcomm Technologies among leaders in the industry.'
Qualcomm's Expertise
Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Group, specialises in wireless and computing technologies. It has already developed smart eyewear using AI under its Snapdragon brand. Ziad Asghar, senior vice president and general manager of XR, wearables and personal AI at Qualcomm Technologies, said: 'Qualcomm Technologies’ collaboration with Inspecs reflects our focus on enabling a new generation of personal AI devices across industries such as enterprise, healthcare, and industrial applications. We’re also pleased that Inspecs will be the first partner to adopt our Snapdragon START program, helping bring smart glasses to market that fit naturally into everyday life—blending timeless design with powerful, intuitive technology.'
About Inspecs
Founded in 1988 by former City bond trader Robin Totterman, Inspecs now operates worldwide, including in the US, Portugal, Scandinavia, and China, with manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, China, and Italy.
