Smart glasses maker Even Realities hits $1 billion valuation with $150 million round led by Meituan and Tencent

By stripping out cameras entirely, Even is making a clear bet that privacy concerns are the real barrier to smart glasses adoption, not the AI features themselves. Backing from two Chinese consumer giants suggests real belief that a camera free, translation and copilot focused device can find a mainstream audience beyond early adopters. It is also a reminder that wearable AI hardware is becoming a genuine growth category outside of the Meta and Snap duopoly.