June 7 — Apple has acquired the Los Angeles-based augmented reality (AR) startup called Mira. The company produces headsets for corporate groups and the US military, according to a post from the CEO’s private Instagram account.

The news emerges just a day after Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that the company bills as a “spatial” computing platform. How much Apple paid for the startup remains unclear. What we do know is that Apple’s former design chief served as an advisor to Mira at one point, according to two former employees.

“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Apple noted in a statement.

Mira’s military contracts

Whether or not Apple will continue Mira’s military contracts has not yet been announced. Speculators believe that, given how Apple operates, it’s unlikely that the military work will continue.

The startup’s military contracts include an agreement with the U.S. Air Force and an agreement with the U.S. Navy, according to government records and press releases.

In shedding more light on the matter, the Air Force’s contract is for military pilots who reside at a particular air force base. The pilots are to use the startup’s Prism Pro headset for displaying things such as equipment instructions.

More on the acquisition

One venture capital firm co-founder told the Financial Times that, for years, startups had shown potential backers “hockey-stick” charts forecasting rapid growth once Apple entered the VR space.

As part of the Mira acquisition, Apple has brought on at least 11 of Mira’s employees. A message on the CEO’s Instagram account read “Excited for Mira’s next chapter, at Apple : )” and “7 year journey from dorm room to acquisition.”

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