Virtual reality & augmented reality funding reached a total of $1.8B in 2019, leveling off from 2017’s record-setting high of $2.8B, according to Greenlight Insights, a market intelligence firm dedicated to virtual reality and augmented reality research and analytics. Across the last decade, virtual and augmented reality (xR) has grown from a blip on the radar of investors to a robust sector receiving $10.4 billion in venture dollars invested since 2014. 

The 2019 VR/AR Year-End Funding Review reveals larger funding round continue to drive the overall virtual reality and augmented reality funding trend, mergers and acquisitions ticked up compared to previous years, and enterprise software and virtual reality gaming as two of the hottest areas of investment. Greenlight Insights projects the number of XR-related deals in 2020 will be 5-10% lower than in 2019.

The report was produced by Ramon Conopio, analyst at Greenlight Insights, with help from Clifton Dawson. Sources data from Capital IQ, SEC company websites, Crunchbase, press releases, and the Greenlight Insights funding database. The full report contains year-over-year (YoY) and quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) information on market activity displayed in easy-to-digest charts, graphs, and tables, as well as data-driven analysis.

“After seven consecutive years of growth, venture deals and dollars for XR companies declined in 2018 and 2019. There continues to be a long dry spell of IPOS, with only one North American IPO, although their performance so far has been impressive. M&A activity has ticked up in 2019,” said Ramon Conopio, analyst at Greenlight Insights.

Greenlight Insights’ 2019 VR/AR Year-End Funding Review is available now. For more information about Greenlight Insights research, please contact hello@greenlightinsights.com or visit www.greenlightinsights.com.

About Greenlight Insights

Greenlight Insights provides market intelligence on smart, virtual reality, and augmented reality display technologies through proprietary data, insights, and analysis. Greenlight Insights delivers critical strategic insights to the world's leading technology companies, publishers, service providers, institutional investors, and government entities.

Based in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, Boston, and Denver, Greenlight Insights comprises a diverse team of highly skilled industry professionals who offer deep expertise about next-generation displays.