When the Giants Enter: What Comes Next for Single-Technology Startups?

When a giant enters, what comes next for small startups around the world developing a single technology? Apple announced Vision Pro, and influencers who tried it proclaimed that they had seen the future. It uses technologies such as eye tracking and gesture recognition. What is next for the small startups that have invested in developing these technologies over many years, now that a giant has entered so forcefully? Possible next steps for startups worldwide working on eye tracking and gesture recognition: 1. Startups with exceptional technology and an absolute lead will become acquisition targets for major technology companies. 2. Those with leading technology, comprehensive patent portfolios, and strong teams still have acquisition opportunities. The buyer would mainly acquire the team to develop next-generation applications. 3. Those with ordinary technology but some good patents and distinctive know-how can carefully consider selling assets, such as patents, while they still have value. 4. The great majority of related startups whose technology lags will gradually fade away. ----- Headset hardware manufacturers face the US$499 Meta Quest 3 in the consumer market and Apple Vision Pro at the developer level. Even with a headset, if they lack a developer ecosystem, cannot match Meta’s pricing, and offer an experience far behind Apple’s, it is reasonable to expect the great majority of small headset startups to exit.