Google acquires microLED startup Raxium

San Francisco: Google has reportedly acquired Raxium, a five-year-old startup focused on developing microLED displays for AR and VR applications.

The terms of the deal are unknown, but Google put a value of $1 billion on Raxium, according to a report from The Information.

microLED is similar to OLED in that it doesn’t use a backlight, instead each pixel emits its own light.

Two years ago it acquired North, a pioneer in human computer interfaces and smart glasses, has built a strong technology foundation.

After failing to impress



people with the consumer edition of its $1500 Glass, Google earlier brought the second edition of its eye-wearable device – Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, with improved camera, USB-C type port and safety frames.

The first Google Glass was introduced with much fanfare in 2014.

At $1,500, it promised a new, bold era for information.

People, however, realised the device was not yet ready to be part of their lives. There were safety and health concerns. The built-in camera raised privacy and piracy issues too.