Qualcomm launches Snapdragon START and takes a stake in eyewear maker Inspecs
Qualcomm no longer just wants to sell the chip inside your next pair of smart glasses. It wants to build the whole supply chain around it, then take a stake in whoever uses it.
Qualcomm no longer just wants to sell the chip inside your next pair of smart glasses. It wants to build the whole supply chain around it, then take a stake in whoever uses it.
At Augmented World Expo this June, Qualcomm launched Snapdragon START - a turnkey kit bundling its AR1+ chip module, AI software, reference designs and manufacturing partners, aimed at any eyewear brand that wants to ship AI glasses without engineering silicon from scratch. Applied Materials, Avegant, Jorjin, Pegatron and Thundercomm sit behind it as manufacturing and technology partners.
The first company through the door is Inspecs, a UK eyewear manufacturer behind licensed brands like Barbour, CAT and Superdry. Qualcomm didn't just sign Inspecs as a customer - it took a $10 million equity stake, buying 7.5 million new shares at £1 each.
That is a different bet than selling silicon at volume. It is Qualcomm underwriting the eyewear industry's ability to become the AI-glasses industry, one traditional frame maker at a time.
