SEOUL—LetinAR, a Korean startup developing a new optical solution for augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, recently raised $3.6 million in Series A funding, led by Kakao Ventures, Naver Corporation, DSC Investment, Korea Asset Investment Securities, and Platinum Technology Investment. LetinAR, a member company of the K-ICT Born2Global Centre, has developed an optical system for AR smart glasses, which plays the same role as smartphone displays. The optical system consists of LetinAR's self-developed “pin mirror lens" and a microdisplay made by external partners.

The company has applied the so-called “pinhole effect” to tiny mirrors and embedded them with eyeglass lenses. The “PinMR” reflects the light from a microdisplay and guides the light into human pupils. Users may view the virtual image from the microdisplay as well as the image from the real world at ease. Human eyes cannot detect the mirrors because the mirrors are smaller than human pupils. Only the virtual image formed by the light reflected by those mirrors becomes visual, the company explained in an announcement.


With LetinAR PinMR lens, smart glasses manufacturers can build smart glasses worn like a pair of conventional glasses, LentinAR said. “We have developed PinMR technology, a new way to overcome the technical barriers that have long existed in the AR industry. LetinAR PinMR optical solution boasts much more superior performance than existing counterparts,” said LetinAR CEO Jaehyeok Kim. “We believe that PinMR Lens will fundamentally change the way people communicate in the near term.”

LetinAR will begin providing PinMR Lens samples next year, enabling smart glasses manufacturers to evaluate the potential of using PinMR lens for their own products.