North

North, initially established as Thalmic Labs in 2012, was a Canadian technology firm that pivoted to the ambitious augmented reality market. The company was the brainchild of three University of Waterloo Mechatronics Engineering graduates: Stephen Lake, Matthew Bailey, and Aaron Grant. Their journey began with a shared vision to redefine human-computer interaction, which first materialized as the Myo armband, a gesture and motion-control device that reads muscle activity. This initial product, launched after the founders gained early support from the Velocity Garage incubator and Y Combinator, showcased their engineering prowess and drew significant investor interest, including a notable $120 million Series B funding round co-led by the Amazon Alexa Fund and Intel Capital.

Sensing a greater opportunity in wearable computing, the founders shifted focus, rebranding to North and acquiring over 230 patents from Intel's discontinued Vaunt smart glasses project. This strategic move set the stage for their flagship product, Focals by North, custom-built smart glasses designed to seamlessly integrate technology into daily life with an emphasis on style. Unlike previous smart glasses, Focals were designed to look like conventional eyewear, projecting information visible only to the wearer. The product's business model was direct-to-consumer, requiring a personalized 3D face scan and fitting process at one of their exclusive showrooms in Toronto or Brooklyn, or at various pop-up locations. This high-touch sales approach underscored the company's commitment to a custom-fit user experience.

Focals operated as an extension of a smartphone, connecting via Bluetooth to a companion app. They delivered discreet, glanceable notifications such as messages, turn-by-turn directions, and calendar alerts directly onto the user's retina via a small holographic projector. Interaction was managed through a subtle, four-directional joystick on a ring called the Loop, and the glasses also featured built-in Amazon Alexa for voice commands. Despite a warm reception for its design, the product faced challenges, including a complex fitting process and a display that some found imperfect. The initial price of $999 was later reduced to $600. In June 2020, before the release of a planned Focals 2.0, North was acquired by Google for an estimated $180 million, with the team joining Google's hardware division in Kitchener-Waterloo to contribute to its ambient computing efforts. Following the acquisition, support for Focals 1.0 was discontinued.

Keywords: North, Thalmic Labs, Focals, smart glasses, augmented reality, wearable technology, Stephen Lake, Matthew Bailey, Aaron Grant, Myo armband, gesture control, human-computer interaction, Google acquisition, ambient computing, holographic display, Loop controller, custom-fit eyewear, wearable display, smart notifications, direct-to-consumer electronics