HTC and Google sign XR collaboration agreement for USD250 million

　Taiwan’s HTC announced on January 23, 2025 that it had signed an agreement with Google, under which HTC will receive USD250 million from Google and certain XR employees from its XR team will join Google.  Also as a part of the transaction, Google will receive a non-exclusive license from HTC’s XR intellectual property rights, with this transaction expected to finalize in the first quarter of 2025.  This is the second transaction that HTC sells its assets and business to Google, following that in 2017 when HTC transferred to Google around 2000 smartphone R&D employees and licensed patents for USD1.1 billion.  

　According to HTC, this agreement will reinforce HTC’s sustained development strategy for the XR ecosystem, streamline its product portfolio, and further expand its VIVE Focus Vision; HTC will remain committed to launching its XR-related products and staying active in the XR market without interruption.  Both sides will also explore the possibility of their future cooperation.  In addition, this agreement will also support Google in fulfilling its commitment to the Android XR platform and accelerate the development of the headset and glasses ecosystem, which will ultimately drive the XR industry.  Furthermore, with HTC’s XR team transitioning to Google, this move will achieve Google’s significant investment goal of establishing an innovation and technology hub in Taiwan.  

　HTC further indicated that this transaction is subject to the fulfillment of the conditions of the agreement and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.  As to the XR intellectual property rights, since this deal involves a non-exclusive license instead of a buyout, HTC retains the right to use or develop them in the future.  

　Google stated in a separate press release that since 2021, Taiwan has become the largest hardware R&D base outside its headquarter in the U.S. and also a strategic hub for global technology industry, and now with the completion of this agreement, Google will continue to expand its presence in Taiwan and work with its global software and hardware teams to advance to the long-term goals focused on AI-First products, services, and ecosystems.  (Released 2025.01.24)  
/CCS