Following the massive week that was CES earlier this month, the XR industry is now recovering, with audiences still coming to grips with the latest news from the blockbuster event.
This leads to a slight lull in news, as revealing big technology announcements so soon after CES can lead to overshadowing. At the same time, however, it can be an excellent moment for firms to capture the attention and imagination of industry leaders who have all eyes on emerging business technology.
This week, various announcements came from the world of enterprise XR. Moreover, Samsung’s Upacked event next week could bring more big XR news, but that is speculative for now.
Either way 2025 is kicking off with fire in its belly, the year ahead may have a lot to hold for the industry. Stay tuned to see where it takes the working world.
Will Samsung Unveil its Moohan XR Headset Next Week?
In 2024, Samsung engaged in various activities, including teasing its upcoming XR headset. Although the company lacks a solid foundation in the XR market, its interest in AR, VR, and MR hardware has garnered attention from market observers.
Several factors contribute to this interest. First, Samsung is a large and influential firm. Second, its extensive Galaxy ecosystem provides a supporting infrastructure, even in the absence of a dedicated XR hardware solution.
Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones already incorporate powerful AR hardware and software, and most users experience augmented reality more frequently on their mobile devices than on head-mounted displays.
This presents a significant opportunity for Samsung. Unlike competitors such as Meta, Samsung has a broad hardware ecosystem that can support a dedicated XR wearable, akin to how the Apple Vision Pro works alongside newly released iPhone and iPad models. Additionally, Samsung is already active in professional sectors, providing technology frameworks for various businesses, which secures a solid groundwork for scaling XR hardware.
While details about the Samsung XR device remain limited, it is expected to debut soon. The next Galaxy Unpacked event is scheduled for January 22. Following last month’s unveiling of “Project Moohan,” the working title for Samsung’s device, more news could emerge shortly from the event, but as stated, this is speculative. Alongside a potential XR debut, Samsung is also set to announce new mobile AI solutions and provide updates regarding its Galaxy S series devices.
Pimax Triples Growth in Just Three Years
Pimax Technology, a Shanghai-based VR hardware manufacturer, has completed a C1+ financing round, raising ¥100 million. This marks one of the most significant VR investments in China for 2024. The funding was led by Zhuji Jingkai Chuangrong Investment, with support from existing investor Ivy Capital. This investment comes at a crucial time for Pimax, as the company has experienced annual revenue growth that has doubled for three consecutive years.
Pimax Founder Weng Zhibin attributed the company’s success to its strategic positioning:
Our growth stems from continuous R&D investment and a mature overseas strategy. We’re also riding the wave of increasing demand for premium VR solutions globally.
The new capital injection will fuel Pimax’s ambitious international expansion plans, including establishing new R&D hubs in the US and Europe. This investment will enhance Pimax’s notable global presence, with overseas users representing 80% of its customer base.
The successful funding round indicates a growing confidence in specialized VR hardware, significantly as enterprise adoption increases. With plans to enhance its research and development capabilities across three continents, Pimax seems well-equipped to exploit the expanding B2B market for high-quality VR solutions.
MeetKai, ThinkAR Partner to Scale AI-Powered Professional Immersive Platforms
MeetKai recently showcased a collaboration with ThinkAR to highlight how professionals in various sectors are deploying AI-ready AR solutions in a bid to start a wave of new immersive wearable use cases. James Kaplan, CEO and Co-Founder of MeetKai, noted the firm’s mission is to “shatter technological barriers and create tangible impact.”
Kaplan also added:
This year at CES, we’re showcasing how AI can be both innovative and inclusive, from transforming education with lifelike training platforms to making augmented reality technology accessible for everyone. These advancements aren’t just about futuristic concepts—they’re practical, user-focused tools that redefine how we live, work, and connect.
MeetKai and ThinkAR demonstrated their advancements in immersive wearables, showcasing tailor-made augmented reality tools for their clients. Notably, they collaborated with Florida State University to launch an AI-powered immersive education platform and partnered with Charlamagne tha God to create an immersive entertainment experience.
This showcase begins a strategic partnership between ThinkAR and MeetKai to scale AI software platforms for wearable devices, including AR smart glasses. The partners emphasize that this collaboration will introduce innovative AI-powered extended reality services to enhance daily life and work, incorporating features like search capabilities, digital twins, and agentic AI tools.
Avantis Education Debuts VR and AI Learning Solutions at FETC 2025
Avantis Education, a provider of immersive classroom solutions, is showcasing its newly launched K-12 school-ready VR service, Eduverse+, at the 2025 Future of Education Technology Conference this week. The company presents new content to enhance classroom experiences with AI tools.
At the Florida event, Avantis Education aims to demonstrate how Eduverse+ can empower students and teachers by offering educational VR content suites tailored for various classroom subjects and settings alongside branded ClassVR headsets.
Huw Williams, CEO of Avantis Education, noted that the Eduverse+ platform provides “new and exciting VR and AR experiences that meet the evolving needs of teachers and students.”
Avantis emphasizes that its product portfolio is designed to improve student engagement and understanding of subjects through interactive and immersive learning tools. At the Future of Education Technology Conference, Avantis will present the various components of Eduverse+. Among its features, Eduverse+ includes AI capabilities that assist with lesson planning, content creation, and personalising student learning journeys.
Speaking on the AI features, Williams explained:
With Eduverse+, students can use AI to turn their own ideas into 360º images, explore diverse biomes and 360º wildlife videos, access interactive 3D models to help them understand complex STEAM topics, and use VR to explore career pathways. It opens up new possibilities to support instruction on many levels.
The new content libraries include WildWorld, an integrated collection of immersive experiences featuring 360-degree ° wildlife videos, narrated films, and other educational resources.
Avantis also supports learners in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) with a selection of over 1,100 Eduverse+ 3D models that students can interact with in virtual reality learning environments.
Additionally, Avantis offers CareerHub as part of Eduverse+ to help students prepare for future job opportunities. This platform provides insights into STEAM careers through virtual reality tools and experiences.
