LetinAR
Founded 2016 Β· 17 employees on LinkedIn Β· 4 known investors
Letinar develops wearable display technology for augmented reality and mixed reality applications, offering low-power, lightweight optical solutions compatible with various AR form factors including glasses and headsets.
Also known as Letinar Β· LetinAR Inc. Β· λ ν°λ
Investors Β· 4
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$37.7M disclosed across 2 rounds Β· 2026
- $18.5MPre-IPOMay 2026 Β· 4 sources
Korea Development Bank (lead), Lotte Ventures
Source β - $19.2MPre-IPO RoundMay 2026Source β
Source: company announcements and press reports β follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026LetinAR (λ ν°λ) is a South Korean company that develops, manufactures and sells optical modules β the lens components that project display images into the wearer's field of view β for augmented reality and AI smart glasses. It does not build finished glasses; instead it supplies optical engines and waveguide-class components to device makers, along with evaluation kits and reference smart glasses that let customers assess the modules. Its product line includes Letinus, a thin module positioned for everyday AI eyewear, and the FrontiAR Brighter and FrontiAR Wider modules aimed at higher-performance applications with 40Β°+ fields of view.
The company's core technologies are PinMR (Pin Mirror) and PinTILT. PinTILT is described as a hybrid architecture combining attributes of waveguide and birdbath optics: rather than splitting and spreading light across the whole lens as exit-pupil-expansion waveguides do, it angularly remaps incoming light so that only light that can enter the eye is directed there, which the company says yields brighter images at lower power in a thinner, lighter form factor than waveguide or birdbath designs. Because the approach is reflective rather than diffractive, it has relatively low wavelength dependence and can produce full color within a single optical system, whereas diffraction-based methods typically need separate structures or layers per color. Lenses are produced by injection molding of solid plastic structures, which the company says removes the need for protective covers or rigid frames and reduces part count. The A-type structure targets wide field of view (goggles), the B-type targets eyeglass form factors, and the basic type is aimed at automotive HUDs; modules are compatible with OLEDoS, microLED, LCoS/LCOS and LCD light sources.
Existing industrial modules are 6.7β7 mm thick; a consumer AI glasses module of 3.6β3.8 mm was slated for unveiling at the following CES, using OLEDoS as the primary light source with LEDoS or LCoS available depending on customer requirements.
Founding story
LetinAR was founded in 2016 by CEO Jaehyeok Kim and CTO Jeonghun Ha, who had been friends since high school. The company traces its technology to a discovery the CTO made while observing a partial solar eclipse on July 22, 2009.
Business model
LetinAR develops, manufactures and sells optical modules as a component supplier to smart glasses and AR device makers, and also provides evaluation kits including smart glasses for customers to test the modules. Engagements typically begin as co-development and technology validation projects and are intended to progress into mass-production supply.
Revenue comes from the sale of optical modules and related engineering/co-development work with device manufacturers. Reported revenue was approximately 2 billion won in the prior year, with a similar level expected in the current year; the timing of large-scale mass-production revenue depends on customers' product launch schedules.
Traction
Modules are shipping commercially. LetinAR launched Miruza AR glasses with an NTT Docomo subsidiary in 2024, exceeding 10,000 units of mass production, and supplies optical modules for auxiliary monitor glasses to Dynabook; NTT QONOQ Devices is also a customer. Its module is inside Aegis Rider's AR motorcycle helmet, targeted at EU and Swiss markets in 2026. Current co-development project volumes run from 100 to 10,000 units, while final product volumes under customer review range from 100,000 to more than 1 million units. Reported revenue was about 2 billion won last year. Capacity is 60,000 modules per year, with a planned expansion to 300,000.
Latest developments
In May 2026 LetinAR announced $18.5 million in new funding from Korea Development Bank and Lotte Ventures among others, bringing total funding to roughly $41.7 million, and said proceeds would fund scale-up. It plans an IPO in South Korea in 2027 under the special technology listing system and has selected a lead manager. It is deploying 27.8 billion won from a pre-IPO round into facility and equipment investment to raise module capacity fivefold to 300,000 units per year, with supply at expanded capacity beginning late the following year, and plans to unveil a 3.6β3.8 mm consumer AI glasses module at the next CES. The company expects AI glasses to grow as smartphone-connected companion devices over the next two to three years before becoming an independent device platform around 2029.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
LetinAR is positioned as an optics component supplier in the AI/AR glasses supply chain, a segment where global AI glasses shipments reached 8.7 million units in 2025 β up more than 300% year over year β with analysts projecting more than 15 million in 2026, according to Omdia. It is backed by LG Electronics, whose own AI smart glasses development has been reported locally, and competes with waveguide-focused optics firms including WaveOptics, DigiLens and Lumus.
The company positions PinTILT as avoiding the trade-offs of the two dominant approaches: waveguides are thin but lose much of the light, causing dimmer images and faster battery drain, while birdbath optics deliver light efficiently but are bulky. Its reflective, non-diffractive approach reduces wavelength dependence for full color in one optical system, uses conventional-index materials, and relies on injection-molded assemblies with few components for manufacturability and durability without protective covers.
Technology
PinTILT and PinMR optical architectures for AR lenses. PinTILT uses angular remapping of incoming light through arrays of small tilted optical elements to direct light into the eye, rather than the intensity splitting used by total-internal-reflection exit-pupil-expansion waveguides, which the company says limits system optical efficiency to roughly the 1% level nit-to-nit. A wide total internal reflection angle enables large fields of view using conventional refractive indices rather than high-index materials. Variants include A-type (maximum FOV), B-type (eyeglass form factor, with standard, translucent-combiner, hidden-collimator and lightweight text-oriented configurations) and a basic type for HUDs. The structure supports pin mirrors and other combiners such as half mirrors, HOEs, DOEs, dielectric coatings and polarization, and is compatible with OLED/OLEDoS, microLED/LEDoS, LCoS and LCD displays. Lenses are injection molded.
Go-to-market
The company sells business-to-business as a component supplier, engaging device makers through co-development and R&D projects that move from technology validation to mass-production preparation, and supporting prospective customers with evaluation kits, reference smart glasses, published product specifications and a technical whitepaper. It also maintains visibility through CES and SPIE Prism award programs and CES product unveilings.
Manufacturers of AR/AI smart glasses, smart goggles and head-up displays, spanning industrial customers that prioritize wide screens and reliability and consumer-oriented customers that prioritize thin, light, full-color eyewear. Customers and partners named include NTT QONOQ Devices, Dynabook (formerly Toshiba Client Solutions) and Aegis Rider, plus unnamed global Big Tech firms in co-development discussions.
Geography
Headquartered in South Korea, with customers and partners in Japan (NTT QONOQ Devices, Dynabook, NTT Docomo subsidiary) and Switzerland (Aegis Rider), whose helmet product targets EU and Swiss markets. For volumes above 1 million units the company is considering sharing production with domestic and overseas manufacturers while keeping core processes and 300,000 units per year in-house.
History
Founded in 2016, LetinAR had raised $6.1 million by early 2020, including from Korean internet companies Naver and Kakao, on the strength of its Pin Mirror technology for slimming smart glasses optics. It was a SPIE Prism Awards finalist in 2020 and 2024 and a CES Innovation Awards honoree in 2022 and 2023. In 2024 it launched the Miruza AR glasses with a subsidiary of Japan's NTT Docomo, its first mass-production experience at volumes above 10,000 units. In May 2026 it announced an $18.5 million round led by Korea Development Bank with participation from Lotte Ventures, taking total funding to about $41.7 million and preceding a planned 2027 listing in South Korea.
Risks & controversies
Large-scale revenue depends on customers' product launch schedules, and current co-development engagements remain at 100β10,000 unit volumes while targeted end-product volumes are far larger, so capacity expansion to 300,000 units per year is a preemptive investment ahead of confirmed demand. Volumes above 1 million units would require external manufacturing partners. Former investor LG Electronics has reportedly begun developing its own AI smart glasses. The company also competes with established waveguide optics suppliers, and the planned 2027 listing is not yet completed.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 8
launches, deals, and filingsLetinAR secured $18.5 million from Korea Development Bank and Lotte Ventures, among other undisclosed investors, bringing total raised to approximately $41.7 million. Proceeds are earmarked for scale-up as the AI glasses market moves toward mass production.
$18.5M source β
The company is preparing facility and equipment investments to raise annual optical module capacity from 60,000 to 300,000 units, deploying 27.8 billion won raised in a pre-IPO round, with supply at expanded capacity to begin late the following year.
LetinAR's optical module is used in an AI-powered AR helmet built by Aegis Rider, a Swiss deep tech company spun out of ETH Zurich's Computer Vision Lab, which is targeting the EU and Swiss markets in 2026.
LetinAR launched the 'Miruza' AR glasses together with a subsidiary of Japan's NTT Docomo, gaining mass-production experience of more than 10,000 units.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
βΈResearch sources Β· 8
primary sources listed
- LetinARletinar.com Β· web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does LetinAR do?
- South Korean developer of PinTILT and PinMR optical modules for AR, AI and smart glasses.
- Who are LetinAR's investors?
- LetinAR's investors include Global Brain, Kakao Ventures, KDDI Open Innovation Fund, Lotte Ventures.
- How much funding has LetinAR raised?
- LetinAR has disclosed $37.7M raised across 2 rounds.