North opens Focals showrooms, receives $24 million government investment

Showrooms for North’s Focal smart glasses have just been announced for Toronto, Ontario and Brooklyn, New York.

Focals can be purchased at North Showrooms following a custom sizing appointment. Focals retail at $1,299 USD, and Focals Classic will ship in limited quantities starting in December 2018, while Focals Round will begin shipping in 2019.

The Canadian government also announced that it would invest $24 million in the company through the $1.26 billion Strategic Innovation Fund, which is dedicated to providing funding to sectors including advanced manufacturing, agri-food, cleantech, clean resources, digital industries, and health and biosciences.

“North is the kind of fast-scaling technology company that’s only beginning to deliver value for Canadians by pioneering in the field of wearable technology and developing and retaining intellectual property in Canada,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “Our government’s investment in North will help create hundreds of good middle-class jobs, contribute to economic growth and position Canada as a world leader in a growing global market.”

The funding will help North expand its existing facility and implement advanced testing, assembly, and production systems. The investment will also support the company’s product development.

As first reported by BetaKit, the company’s wearable will include feature support for texting, navigation, calendar functionality, and more. So far, Toronto and Brooklyn are the only announced physical locations where you can be fitted for a pair of Focals.

Caitlin Hotchkiss

Caitlin Hotchkiss

Content coordinator, social media smartypants, wordsmith, Human Workflow™. Exists primarily on coffee, cat pictures, German dance metal, and pro wrestling. I will fight for your right to the Oxford comma.

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