Augmented reality (AR) aims to enhance our natural world through technology. The interactive experience uses computer-generated information to enrich what we perceive in the natural world.
The AR market is growing fast as more companies and people embrace this technology. According to data by Statista, the AR market will top $62 billion in 2029. That implies a 9% compound annual growth rate over the next few years.
Many companies are working toward capturing a slice of the AR market. Here's a look at some of the top augmented reality stocks.
List of stocks
Best augmented reality stocks
Several companies are working on augmented reality technology. Here's a list of some of the best augmented reality stock picks:
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Industry |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) | $1.8 trillion | Interactive Media and Services |
| Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) | $2.2 trillion | Interactive Media and Services |
| Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) | $3.9 trillion | Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment |
| Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) | $3.2 trillion | Technology Hardware, Storage and Peripherals |
| Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) | $3.7 trillion | Software |
| Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) | $178 billion | Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment |
| Unity Software (NYSE:U) | $11 billion | Software |
Here's a closer look at these top growth tech stocks focused on augmented reality.
1. Meta Platforms
1. Meta Platforms
Social media giant Meta Platforms has been investing heavily in building other technology platforms. The company's Reality Labs segment is building augmented reality, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) tools and services like Oculus and Spark AR.
Meta Platforms has partnered with Ray-Ban to develop smart glasses technology. The glasses can take photos and videos, make calls, and live stream. With Meta AI, it also can, for example, translate text in real-time or tell you the history of a building you are looking at.
The company sees a massive opportunity for AR glasses powered by AI. CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented on the company's opportunity in glasses on its first quarter earnings conference call in early 2025:
Glasses are the ideal form factor for both AI and the metaverse. They enable you to let an AI see what you see, hear what you hear, and talk to you throughout the day. And they let you blend the physical and digital worlds together with holograms. More than a billion people worldwide wear glasses today, and it seems highly likely that these will become AI glasses over the next 5 to 10 years.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
2. Alphabet
2. Alphabet
Alphabet is the corporate umbrella company that holds the iconic Google search engine and YouTube online entertainment channel. The company also has several "other bets," including cybersecurity company Chronicle and autonomous driving technology venture Waymo.
Google is using AR in various ways. For example, Live View on Google Maps allows users to quickly orient themselves to the area around them and know which way to go via directions overlaid on the live screen of their surroundings. Meanwhile, Google Lens allows users to search what they see. They can scan and translate text, search for an item that caught their eye, or identify plants and animals. The company's AR technology is making it easier for people to discover the world around them.
Google is also developing AR glasses and VR headsets. It's also following Meta by integrating AI into those products to enhance the user experience.
3. Apple
3. Apple
Apple is a leader in developing technology with the goal of making life easier. It's increasingly using AR to enhance the physical world. Apple has the world's largest AR platform, with hundreds of millions of AR-enabled devices, as well as thousands of AR apps available on its Apps Store. Users can download AR-enabled apps such as Snapchat (SNAP -1.44%), IKEA Kreativ, iScape, and others that enhance the physical world through an iPhone or iPad.
In addition, the company is exploring many ways to use virtual reality with AR. Apple is developing wearable computing technology. The company launched its first AR/VR product, Apple Vision Pro, in early 2024. The spatial computing product blends digital content with your physical space.
Apple is also joining its fellow tech titans in trying to tap the massive potential market opportunity for smart glasses. It aims to launch its smart glasses in 2026.
4. Microsoft
4. Microsoft
Microsoft is investing in leading-edge technologies like cloud computing, AI, and AR/VR. The company launched its first mixed-reality product, HoloLens, which overlays digital images in the physical world. The updated HoloLens 2 is a holographic device designed to help businesses improve accuracy and output. However, it has since discontinued those products.
Microsoft is working on other aspects of AR, including AI, AR software, processing, lenses, and sensors to create even more immersive experiences for users. For example, it's also working on AR smart glasses featuring its co-pilot AI technology. The company sees lots of business uses for the technology, including training, support, and customer service across a range of industries.
5. Qualcomm
5. Qualcomm
Qualcomm is working to build the foundational technology needed to make AR a reality. This technological base includes immersive 3D graphics, computer vision, machine learning, intuitive security, and 5G technologies. The company's Snapdragon XR Platform is an end-to-end computing solution that can power the AR world.
In addition to developing AR technology, Qualcomm is investing in innovative AR startups. Qualcomm launched its $100 million Snapdragon Metaverse Fund to invest in extended reality (XR) technologies.
These investments are starting to pay some dividends. The company unveiled its Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 processor in 2025. The technology enables companies to install on-glass generative AI (Gen AI), creating what it calls the world's most advanced solution for AI smart glasses.
6. Nvidia
6. Nvidia
Nvidia is also working on the technology needed to make VR a reality. For example, Nvidia CloudXR delivers VR and AR across 5G and Wi-Fi networks. It allows users to stream AR through devices without using wires.
Nvidia is also developing technology that incorporates AR into cars. The Nvidia Drive AR processor gathers information and displays it for a driver using AR. The system will show driving stats, points of interest, alerts, and other information.
7. Unity Software
7. Unity Software
Unity Software makes a game engine to create video games. Developers can use its platform to create 2D, 3D, VR, and AR video games and other applications for smartphones, PCs, tablets, and other devices.
The company has created an integrated platform that allows developers to make immersive AR projects a reality. Unity's solution combines a leading software development platform with purpose-built tools that allow creators to bring their vision to life.
Unity Software's solutions go beyond gaming. For example, its technology can also help transform healthcare systems by enhancing medical training and patient care through immersive XR technology.
Related investing topics
These top augmented reality companies see a bright future in AR
Augmented reality is quickly becoming more mainstream as companies develop new uses for the technology, so AR-focused companies could be big winners in the coming years. Investors won't want to overlook the space.
