RealWear partners with Honeywell to boost sales of new versions of flagship products

Vancouver augmented reality company RealWear has inked a deal that could kickstart sales of its flagship products this year.

RealWear will now make new versions of its HMT-1 — a hands-free, voice-controlled computer — with Honeywell International Inc., which will then sell and supply the hardware to other industries.

“They anticipate buying thousands of devices to support dozens of pilot (programs), which will lead to a whole host of different deployments,” said CEO Andy Lowery.

Honeywell is a multinational conglomerate that makes and sells equipment for a battery of businesses and consumers. Its products range from plane engines to thermostats and dehumidifiers to industrial gas detection systems.

The two companies will collaborate on a product similar to the HMT-1, a miniature computer that wraps around hard hats to aid industrial workers. RealWear will supply the hardware and proprietary software, while Honeywell will add its own software and then market the co-branded products to consumers.

Lowery likened the deal to hiring thousands of salespeople at once.

“I have 10 or 15 salesmen and they have thousands,” he said. “Everything they’re doing is multiplied 10 times for us and that’s how they bring such an exciting position.”

Lowery said the terms of the partnership are confidential.

This new partnership follows a $17 million funding round in February. Two months later, RealWear announced a new partnership to equip service techs at maintenance centers for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

RealWear, which moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Vancouver last summer, aims to sell up to 20,000 of its devices this year. It employs more than 90 people across the country, including 30 in Vancouver.

Troy Brynelson: 360-735-4547; troy.brynelson@columbian.com; twitter.com/TroyWB