source: techcrunch ai: south korea’s letinar is building optics behind ai glasses
level: business
south korean startup letinar has spent a decade building optical modules for ai smart glasses. its pintilt technology arranges tiny elements inside a lens to direct light precisely into the eye, avoiding the waste of waveguide approaches and the bulk of mirror-based birdbath designs. the result is a brighter image in a thinner, lighter form factor that uses less power. the company does not make glasses but supplies the lens component that projects images into the wearer's field of view.
letinar's modules are already shipping to customers like japan's ntt qonoq devices and dynabook. one demanding use case is aegis rider, a swiss deeptech firm building an ai-powered ar helmet for motorcyclists. the helmet displays navigation and safety alerts anchored to the road, not floating on the visor. letinar is also in talks with big tech companies for next-generation ai glasses r&d. the startup recently raised $18.5 million from korea development bank and lotte ventures, bringing total funding to $41.7 million ahead of a planned 2027 ipo.
global ai glasses shipments surged to 8.7 million units in 2025, up over 300% from the prior year, and analysts project more than 15 million this year. major players like meta, google, samsung, and apple are moving into the space. letinar aims to be the go-to optics supplier as the market shifts from early adopters to mass production. ceo jaehyeok kim sees ai glasses as the next platform, with the optical module being the hardest part to get right.
why it matters: efficient, compact optics are critical for making ai glasses practical for everyday use, directly affecting battery life, weight, and image quality.
source: techcrunch ai: south korea’s letinar is building optics behind ai glasses