Holoswim
GUANGLI (Holoswim) is a Hangzhou-based AR hardware company that designs and sells consumer augmented reality products, including the world's first AR smart swim goggles and the Lightin series of light-field AR glasses, using proprietary holographic waveguide technology and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersHangzhou, China
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Holoswim does
GUANGLI (Hangzhou Guangli Technology Co., Ltd.) is an AR technology company founded in Hangzhou, China in 2017, operating the Holoswim consumer brand. The company designs and manufactures consumer AR hardware built on proprietary light-field and holographic waveguide technology, including 220+ Chinese and international patents covering optical and display innovations. Its product portfolio spans two main lines: the Holoswim series of AR smart swim goggles — the world's first AR-enabled swimming goggles that display real-time swim metrics in the user's field of view, with three generations released (original, Holoswim 2, Holoswim 2S) — and the Lightin series of consumer AR glasses, including Lightin 1 (the world's first light-field glasses in sunglasses form factor), Lightin 2, and Lightin Me. Supporting components include the Holoresin holographic resin optical waveguide and the HandPlus gesture-control ring.
The company monetizes through direct-to-consumer hardware sales via its own e-commerce storefront at guangli.com, targeting two primary segments: swimming enthusiasts and athletes seeking hands-free performance metrics, and AR technology early adopters seeking affordable consumer AR eyewear. Distribution is augmented by enterprise partnerships with China Mobile, KDDI, BMW, Huawei, and SenseTime, which provide channel access, procurement validation, and AI integration respectively. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Operating geographies cover Asia (China, Singapore) with global e-commerce shipping implied by the website.
GUANGLI's go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer with strategic enterprise validation. The team draws from Zhejiang, Cornell, and Delaware universities, and the company has completed funding rounds through 2020 with Linear Capital, Temasek's Xiangfeng, Ivy Capital, and Puying Capital. The company received the 10th China Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Growth Enterprise Group award in 2021 for the Holoswim product.
Holoswim firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Holoswim
- Legal name
- Hangzhou Guangli Technology Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://guangli.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- GUANGLI (Holoswim) is a Hangzhou-based AR hardware company that designs and sells consumer augmented reality products, including the world's first AR smart swim goggles and the Lightin series of light-field AR glasses, using proprietary holographic waveguide technology and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Holoswim industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Augmented Reality Wearables
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (45613)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AR Smart Glasses (CRACAIAE)
Keywords
Where Holoswim is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hangzhou
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Holoswim business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales - Consumer AR Products: Sale of consumer AR hardware products including Holoswim smart swim goggles, Lightin Me AR glasses, and HandPlus ring. Revenue generated from direct product sales to consumers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Holoswim product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Holoswim (operating as GUANGLI) develops and sells AR smart swim goggles and consumer AR glasses that use proprietary light-field and holographic waveguide technology to overlay real-time information in the user's field of view. The company manufactures and sells its own branded hardware products, including the Holoswim swim goggle line and the Lightin series of AR glasses, primarily through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce store.
Product overview
GUANGLI (Holoswim) is an AR technology company founded in 2017 in Hangzhou, China, specializing in affordable augmented reality products employing light field and holographic waveguide technology. The company offers two main product lines: (1) Holoswim smart swim goggles - the world's first AR-enabled swimming goggles that display real-time metrics to swimmers, with three generations (original, Holoswim 2, and Holoswim 2S); and (2) Lightin AR glasses - light-field and holographic waveguide-based AR eyewear for consumer use, including Lightin 1 (world's first sunglasses-form light-field glasses), Lightin 2 (ultra-thin variant), and Lightin Me (latest consumer AR glasses released 2022). Supporting technology includes Holoresin holographic resin optical waveguides and the HandPlus ring for gesture control. The company holds over 220 patents and serves enterprise customers including BMW, Huawei, and China Mobile.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Holoswim: World's first AR smart swim goggles product line
- Holoswim 2
- Holoswim 2S
- Lightin
- Lightin Me
- Holoresin
- HandPlus
Products and services
- Holoswim 2S Latest generation AR smart swim goggles with holographic waveguide display technology, designed for swimmers to view real-time performance metrics while swimming.
- Holoswim 2 Second generation AR smart swim goggles with improved display and performance metrics for swimmers.
- Holoswim Original world's first AR smart swim goggles, allowing real-time data display while swimming through a holographic resin optical waveguide.
- Lightin Me Consumer-grade AR glasses released in 2022, featuring light-field and holographic waveguide technology for everyday augmented reality experiences.
- Lightin 2 Second generation light-field AR glasses with ultra-thin and lightweight design, featuring holographic waveguide technology for near-eye display.
- Lightin 1 World's first light-field glasses in sunglasses form factor, released at CES Asia 2019. Pioneered light-field technology for consumer AR eyewear.
- HandPlus Ring Companion ring device for hand gesture interaction with AR glasses, released alongside Lightin Me in 2022.
Companies that use Holoswim
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Holoswim technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Holoswim partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- HuaweicoreOfficial procurement from Huawei, indicating enterprise adoption of GUANGLI's AR technology.
- KDDIcoreCooperation with Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI for market distribution in Japan.
- Shangtang (SenseTime)coreTechnology cooperation with Shangtang for AI integration in AR products.
- BMWcoreSelected in BMW Startup Garage for cooperation, demonstrating enterprise validation of AR technology for automotive applications.
- China Mobile Hangzhou Research InstitutecoreCooperation to integrate GUANGLI products into China Mobile's product list, providing distribution and integration opportunities.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Holoswim competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Meta (Ray-Ban Stories / Orion): Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and Orion AR prototype represent the dominant consumer AR smart glasses effort by a hyperscaler, competing with Guangli's Lightin series in the consumer eyewear form factor and establishing category expectations.
- Epson (Moverio): Epson's Moverio line is one of the longest-running consumer/enterprise smart glass platforms, making Epson a broad incumbent comparable to Guangli in waveguide-based see-through AR displays, though with a broader product portfolio across enterprise verticals.
- Microsoft (HoloLens): Microsoft's HoloLens is the leading enterprise AR headset platform using waveguide optics, comparable to Guangli's enterprise AR display technology and validating the B2B AR optics opportunity that Guangli is pursuing via its Huawei/BMW/China Mobile partnerships.
Direct peers
- Snap Inc. (Spectacles): Snap's Spectacles are consumer smart glasses with built-in displays/cameras targeting AR experiences — directly comparable to Guangli's Lightin Me consumer AR glasses in form factor, target customer, and AR-first product positioning.
- Vuzix: Vuzix is a US-listed smart glasses manufacturer offering enterprise and consumer waveguide-based AR eyewear, directly comparable to Guangli's Lightin series in terms of optical technology (waveguide displays) and target use cases.
- Magic Leap: Magic Leap develops AR headsets and smart glasses using proprietary waveguide and light-field optics, directly comparable to Guangli's light-field waveguide technology stack and AR display engineering.
- FORM Smart Swim: FORM Swim (acquired by Garmin) makes smart swim goggles with heads-up display of real-time metrics — the closest direct competitor to Holoswim's core AR swim goggle product, addressing the same customer pain point of hands-free metrics during swimming.
Others
- Dispelix: Dispelix is a Finnish waveguide component supplier for AR glasses — adjacent to Guangli as both compete in the optical component value chain (waveguides), with Dispelix supplying OEMs that may eventually compete with Guangli's Lightin/Holoresin-branded finished products.
Regional players
- OPPO Air Glass: OPPO's Air Glass and Air Glass 2 are consumer AR glasses with monochrome and color waveguide displays, comparable to Guangli's Lightin Me as a regional Chinese-market competitor in the consumer AR eyewear category.
- TCL RayNeo: TCL's RayNeo is a Chinese consumer AR glasses brand directly comparable to Guangli's Lightin series as a domestic China-market competitor with overlapping consumer AR eyewear positioning and similar price-sensitive go-to-market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Holoswim social profiles
Digital presenceHoloswim financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Holoswim leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Holoswim funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Holoswim M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Holoswim
What does Holoswim do?
Holoswim (operating as GUANGLI) develops and sells AR smart swim goggles and consumer AR glasses that use proprietary light-field and holographic waveguide technology to overlay real-time information in the user's field of view. The company manufactures and sells its own branded hardware products, including the Holoswim swim goggle line and the Lightin series of AR glasses, primarily through its direct-to-consumer e-commerce store.
Is Holoswim a public or private company?
Holoswim is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Holoswim founded?
Holoswim was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Holoswim based?
Holoswim is headquartered in Hangzhou, China, in the Asia region.
How does Holoswim make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Sales - Consumer AR Products.
Who are Holoswim's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Meta (Ray-Ban Stories / Orion), Epson (Moverio) and Microsoft (HoloLens). Direct peers are Snap Inc. (Spectacles), Vuzix, Magic Leap and FORM Smart Swim. Dispelix is listed as an others. Regional players are OPPO Air Glass and TCL RayNeo.
Does Holoswim have an API?
No public API is recorded for Holoswim.
What industry is Holoswim in?
Holoswim's product category is Augmented Reality Wearables. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAIAE, AR Smart Glasses. Its NAICS code is 45613 and its SIC code is 3851.