Welcome to Viewpoints, news and investment activity covering the next generation of computing - brought to you by FOV Ventures.

This Month:

• Our New investment Spogen.ai brings AI to operators of heavy machinery

• Dave Haynes on EUVC: the next trillion-dollar opportunity.

• Portfolio spotlight - ai|coustics hiring after €5M seed round

Dave Haynes, Petri Rajahalme, Sointu Karjalainen & David Ripert (FOV Ventures)

Last month’s Google I/O dropped some genuinely interesting hardware

Unlike the awkward Google Glass experiment, these new smart glasses actually make sense. You get Google Maps directions right in your field of vision, signs are translated in real-time as you look at them, and you can finally take photos by voice without shooting blind (something Meta's smart glasses can't do).

But the bigger picture is that Google is building a whole operating system Android XR specifically for these kinds of wearable devices, with other companies announcing they are building devices for Google's platform.

Xreal will launch the first consumer smart glasses running Android XR using Qualcomm's specialised processors and Samsung's Project Moohan headset will be a lighter and (apparently) more comfortable competitor to Apple's Vision Pro.

Google's previous smart glasses failed as hardware looking for a purpose. But when you combine this new hardware ecosystem with Google's premium AI subscription and promise to ship products this year, it signals the missing convergence - AI provides the contextual understanding that transforms expensive accessories into daily drivers.

At FOV Ventures, we've been positioning for this since inception. Google's infrastructure commitment means more platforms to target and clearer paths to scale for our portfolio companies and clear confirmation that this market is readying a move beyond early adopters.

Beyond consumer applications, spatial computing continues to expand into enterprise and defense too.

Meta and Anduril announced their partnership to build integrated XR products for military applications, mirroring what we're building in our portfolio – Distance Technologies just demonstrated their impressive XR Night Vision system in complete darkness deep underground in Helsinki, proving spatial computing works in mission-critical scenarios. Our recent investment in Spogen.ai applies thinking to heavy machinery and farming too, where €500,000 equipment needs intelligent interfaces that understand both the machine and its environment. To read more about that investment click below.

FOV NEWS

Dave Haynes on EUVC Podcast

FOV Partner Dave Haynes appeared on the EUVC podcast for a deep dive into "How AR Glasses, Multimodal AI, and Teleoperated Robots Will Reshape How We Work."

The conversation covered the convergence of AR, AI, and robotics - from audio-enhancing models and VR-powered robot control to wearable AI glasses unlocking new workflows. Dave discussed why multimodal models are changing daily AI interaction and what this means for investors eyeing the next trillion-dollar opportunity.

Distance Technologies Investor Event

We hosted LPs and investors at Distance Technologies' design center in Helsinki for hands-on demos of breakthrough XR tech for defense, automotive, and space industries. CEO Urho Konttori demonstrated how their technology projects directions onto car windshields and enables night vision in military vehicles, while FOV Partner Petri Rajahalme shared insights on the future across our 31 portfolio companies.

Javier Bello Ruiz Joins Edge Network

We welcome Javier Bello Ruiz to FOV's Edge Network.

Currently an Innovation Catalyst at ETH Zurich, Javier co-founded IMVERSE, launching three volumetric video solutions for live 3D telepresence powered by voxels, cloud, and AI/ML. With a background bridging Mixed Reality and Cognitive Neuroscience research at EPFL, he brings deep expertise in spatial computing, HCI, and XR technologies.

AWE 2025

FOV Partner Petri Rajahalme speaks on the investing in spatial computing panel at AWE alongside Amy LaMeyer from WXR Fund and Jonathan Carmel from Impact Venture Capital.

Meanwhile, our portfolio companies DoublePoint and Distance Technologies will be showcasing their tech, and Distance CEO Urho Konttori is delivering a keynote on "The Final Frontier of XR."

If you’re there too, come and say Hi!

FOV PORTFOLIO NEWS

• Kubos Semiconductors was named among the top 100 Future of Compute startups to watch by AlbionVC, listed alongside 68 growing and exciting UK tech companies. (more)

• Iconic was recognized among the top 100 AI startups globally by CB Insights - one of only a handful of gaming companies defining a new category of interactive worlds and experiences. (more)

• Flow Computing became a finalist in KPMG Tech Innovator 2025 in Finland, with CEO Timo Valtonen pitching how their PPU is redefining the future of high-performance computing on June 11. (more)

• Move AI welcomed AKA Virtual as their official distribution partner in Japan, bringing markerless motion capture technology to creators and studios across the region with full local support. (more)

• Starstuff CEO Hanna Toivonen was chosen as part of the all-female founder winners at London Stock Exchange & Tech Nordic Advocates, earning the opportunity to present at London Tech Week in June. (more)

• Ray Browser achieved 30% faster performance than Chrome in latest benchmarking tests, with their lean 14-person team delivering on building the fastest, most optimised browser for gaming on the web. (more)

• IXI was featured in Stuff magazine as "The Clark Kent of smart glasses" for their approach to vision enhancement without cameras, speakers, microphones, or AI - simply helping users see better. (more)

FOV JOBS

ai|coustics is hiring a Founding Sales Development Representative in Berlin - an exceptional opportunity to join the team building the quality layer for Voice AI.

With 500,000+ users, 2+ million audio files processed, and contracts with leading audio brands like Elgato and Deutsche Welle, they're solving the problem of poor audio quality that plagues everything from podcasts to video calls. Fresh off their €5M seed round, this is a chance to define a new category in Voice AI. more here

More Open Roles

• Atopia Space - Intern - Founder's Associate (m/f/d) in Metaverse Platform for Arts & Culture

• ai|coustics - Digital Marketing Specialist (Video + Social Focus), Machine Learning Engineer, Founding Sales Development Representative (SDR)

• Pixieray - Open Application, Full-Stack Mobile Engineer, Cleanroom Operator

• GEEIQ - Fullstack Engineer

• AQL Robotics - Laboratory Technician

Thanks for reading, see you next time!