Google has announced a new agreement with HTC, bringing selected members of HTC’s VIVE XR engineering team to Google, with the deal subject to customary closing conditions. This collaboration marks a significant step for both companies in the growing XR (Extended Reality) industry.
Key Points of the Agreement:
- Financial Terms: HTC will receive $250 million in cash from Google.
- Employee Transition: Selected members of HTC’s XR team will join Google as part of the agreement.
- Intellectual Property: Google will acquire a non-exclusive license for HTC’s XR-related intellectual property (IP).
- Future Collaboration: Both companies will explore potential future collaboration opportunities.
HTC has emphasized that this agreement will support its continued focus on XR technology development while ensuring that its existing product lines remain unaffected. The company remains dedicated to advancing its VIVE XR products, including the VIVE Focus Vision, with no interruption in support or innovation.
For Google, this acquisition further strengthens its commitment to advancing the Android XR platform and expanding its headset and glasses ecosystem. By gaining a highly skilled team with extensive expertise in the VR/XR space, Google enhances its capabilities in the XR industry, further cementing its investment in Taiwan as a key technology and innovation hub.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, pending the completion of customary closing conditions.
Regarding the deal with HTC and the transition of HTC’s VIVE XR engineering team to Google, a Google spokesperson stated:
This team brings exceptional technical expertise and a proven track record in the VR space. We are excited to collaborate with them to accelerate the development of the Android XR platform across the headset and glasses ecosystem.