Industry Leaders and Innovators Recognized for Groundbreaking XR Contributions at the World's Leading AR/VR Conference
As Augmented World Expo (AWE) USA 2025 prepares to kick off in Long Beach, California, the global XR community is set to celebrate another milestone year of innovation, creativity, and impact in spatial computing. Now in its 16th year, AWE is proud to announce the newest inductees to the XR Hall of Fame and unveil the finalists for both the 2025 Auggie Awards and the Start-Up Pitch Competition-marking a record-breaking year for the industry's most prestigious honors.
Honoring 10 New XR Hall of Fame Inductees
The future of XR is built on a foundation laid by decades of visionary work. That foundation took physical form in 2024 with the launch of the AWE XR Hall of Fame-a living tribute to the trailblazers whose bold visions, technical breakthroughs, and creative leaps helped shape today's $40 billion XR industry.
The inaugural class recognized 101 pioneers whose contributions spanned five decades across augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. These individuals didn't just imagine the possibilities of XR-they brought them to life.
In 2025, the XR Hall of Fame adds 10 new inductees who have significantly shaped XR over the past 50 years. Their contributions span immersive art, hardware innovations, digital health, media, and education, transforming how XR is designed and understood globally. Their visionary work has left a lasting impact on the industry's past, present, and future.
The 2025 XR Hall of Fame inductees are:
— Nicole Stenger – VR Artist and Visionary
— Bob Jacobson – HIT Lab Associate Director & VR Forum Architect
— Andrew Fuller – Founding Architect of HoloLens & Meta AR Leader
— Gregory Panos – XR Visionary & Human Simulation Pioneer
— Linda Jacobson – VR Evangelist & Health Inclusion Advocate
— Mel Slater – Pioneer of Presence & Embodiment in VR
— Sandra Kay Helsel – XR Media Trailblazer & “First Lady of VR”
— Walter Greenleaf – Clinical VR Pioneer & Digital Health Innovator
— Albert “Skip” Rizzo – VR Innovator in Psychological & Cognitive Healthcare
— Scott Fisher – NASA Pioneer & USC Interactive Media Founder
These distinguished individuals will be honored throughout AWE USA 2025, including a special tribute during the Auggie Awards Ceremony to highlight their achievements and inspire the next generation of XR innovators.
Explore the full list and learn more about the XR Hall of Fame at: https://www.awexr.com/blog/meet-the-2025-inductees-to-the-xr-hall-of-fame.
2025 Auggie Awards Finalists Announced
This year, the Auggie Awards continue to spotlight excellence in XR. With a record number of submissions, the 2025 competition is the largest in the awards' history-a testament to the maturity of the tech and the explosion of XR builders creating apps and experiences for everyone on earth.
Since 2010, the Auggies have celebrated groundbreaking technology, compelling content, and real-world impact. Finalists were selected through a combination of public voting and expert review, and now advance to the final judging round led by AWE's esteemed advisory panel.
This year's awards cover 19 categories, highlighting the top global innovations in XR. Finalists are showcased in the Auggie Awards Gallery, with winners announced live on June 11 during the Auggie Awards ceremony, held on AWE's Main Stage. Each winner will receive the prestigious Auggie Award Trophy, custom-designed by artist Sigal Arad Inbar, and gain international recognition among XR leaders, investors, and media.
Congratulations to all 2025 finalists, and thank you to everyone who submitted and voted in this year's competition.
Finalists for each category are as follows:
Best Art or Film:Gargoyle Doyle — Ethan Shaftel // easyActionIn Tirol — James C. KaneMarco Polo VR – A new immersive journey between Italy and China — WAY ExperienceNon-Player Character Musical — Brendan BradleyUncanny Alley: A New Day — Ferryman Collective & Virtual Worlds Company
Best Campaign:Captain Messi – Join the Fun — CamOn XRFarms of the Future AR for McCain Foods — Rock Paper Reality & McCainFord Mustang XR Experience — CamOn XROREO X PAC-MAN SUPERMARCADE — ARKx, Form & Fun, Saatchi & Saatchi GermanySnapchat x The LEGO Group – 10 Bricks Infinite Play — Snapchat, The LEGO Group
Best Climate Change Solution:Burn Zone: Immersive Truths from California's Wildfires — Lucid Reality LabsConnected Lands: Stories of Change and Resilience in Ramona and Barona — Virtual PlanetGlobal Collaboration Village — World Economic ForumGuardians of the Reef — Virtual Planet Technologies LLCMicrosoft Renewable Energy Generation – Digital Twin Simulation — Treeview, Microsoft, TEYMA
Best Collaboration Tool:Arthur One — Arthur TechnologiesCactus XR — Auki LabsCampfire — CampfireCisco Spatial meetings on Webex for Apple Vision Pro — CiscoGlobal Collaboration Village — World Economic Forum
Best Consumer App:ARLOOPA App — ARLOOPA Inc.FitXR — FitXRPencil — 4th Wall BreakersPeridot Beyond — Niantic SpatialRC Pilot Trainer — Quaternion SoftwareTequila.AR: Revolutionizing Home Mixology Through Augmented Reality — Diageo
Best Content Creator(s):Dilmer Valecillos XR YouTube Channel — Learn XR LLCGetting Things Dun with JDun and JoyReign — Onyx Leaf Media, LLCMatteo311 — Matteo311Otterworldly –OtterworldlyQ2C-VR Gamer — Todd Jackson, Eric Masher
Best Creator & Authoring Tool:ARLOOPA Studio — ARLOOPA Inc.Camon Studio — CamOn XRLens Studio — Snap Inc.LIV Creator Kit — LIV IncNiantic Studio — Niantic SpatialShapelab Lite — LeopolyVIVERSE Create — HTC VIVERSE
Best Developer Tool:GroKit Core — 3lbXRLens Studio — Snap Inc.Niantic Studio — Niantic SpatialSTYLY for Vision Pro — STYLYThe Excurio Platform — Excurio
Best Education & Training Solution:AR Experiential Education System — UNBOUND SDN BHDBPEIverse: Immersive Vision Suite — University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye InstituteHoisting and Rigging VR — NORCAT, NETCOVictoryXR's Virtual Investigation Academy and CSI Experience — VictoryXRVirtual Hangar — Mass VirtualVIVALDI 3.0. The Immersive Universe of Four Seasons — ONE Digital ConsultingXR Guru Healthcare Pathways Training — XR Guru
Best Enterprise Solution:Airbus Service 4.0 p– Augmentalix & SphereCactus – Spatial AI for Retail — Auki Labsecho3D – 3D Digital Asset Management Platform — echo3DInflight XR powered by Meta l Elevating Travel with Mixed Reality — Lufthansa, MetaTELEDOMICA — TELEDOMICA
Best Game or Toy:Living Room — Thoughtfish GmbHMetro Awakening — Vertigo GamesMythic Realms — PetricoreSkydance's BEHEMOTH — Skydance GamesSpatial Ops — Resolution GamesStarship Home — CreatureTiny Motors Arcade — DB CreationsWhat If…? – An Immersive Story — ILM
Best Headworn Device:PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise — PICPlay For Dream MR — Play For DreamSnap Spectacles — Snap Inc.Vuzix Ultralite Pro Smart Glasses — Vuzix corporationXREAL One Series – XREAL
Best Healthcare & Wellness Solution:AI-Driven Developmental Learning in VR: How VIZQ Empowers Pediatric Therapy — Lucid Reality LabsFundamental Surgery — FundamentalVRLilypad – Home as a Health Care Hub — HKS IncPeridot — Niantic Spatial, Augment TherapySimtryx – Simtryx
Best Indie Creator(s):Ferryman Collective — Ferryman CollectiveIn Tirol — James C. KanePetricore — PetricoreShip Happens VR — Cause + ChristiThe Green Spurt — Reality check
Best Interaction Product:Avegant AI Glasses DevKit — Avegant Corp.Freeaim VR Shoes — Freeaim Technologies ltdOmni One — Virtuix Inc.TactSuit Pro — bHaptics Inc.TouchDIVER Pro — WEARTX-Runner – NEWJAK
Best Location-Based Entertainment:”The Last Stronghold” — ExcurioAR in Google Maps for Paris Olympics — Rock Paper Reality, GoogleFanPort — Draw & CodeIllumix AR for Camp Snoopy at Six Flag's Carowind — IllumixThe Golden Age of the Jews of Al-Andalus — University of MiamiTHE MOON CRUISE — TOKYO DOME CORPORATION, STYLY, Inc.Xense AR — Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation
Best Societal Impact:Otter Rock: Beneath the Surface — University of Oregon Reality LabPeridot franchise — Niantic SpatialShadows of the Stabilisation Point — Yle, Helsinki XR CenterSign Language Translator — Frame Sixty, LLCTotems of Hope — Simeone Scaramozzino
Best Use of AI:GRACIA AI — GRACIA AI, INC.Lindus Reality — KinemericMedical AI Agent — Lucid Reality LabsScanXplain — Reality AppsXREAL Eye Camera – XREAL
Best Web3 Implementation:Culture Coins: Where High Fashion Meets Frictionless Web3 — SNEAKARLayerDrone — LayerDroneMcKenna — Auki LabsMetaKYC — HCL TECHNOLOGIES LTDThe Posemesh — Auki Labs
View the Auggie Awards Gallery here: https://auggies.awexr.com/gallery/EvVzNXex.
2025 Start-Up Pitch Competition Finalists Announced
This year, the AWE Start-Up Pitch Competition continues to showcase the next generation of XR innovation. A select group of AR and VR start-ups will present their groundbreaking ideas and technologies, competing for recognition as this year's Start-Up to Watch.
The finalists were chosen for their exceptional contributions to the XR space, each bringing fresh perspectives and exciting solutions to the immersive technology landscape. These visionary companies will pitch their cutting-edge ideas in front of a panel of esteemed XR investors during AWE USA 2025.
Finalists are listed on the Start-Up Pitch Competition page, with the winner announced live on June 11 during the Auggie Awards ceremony on the AWE USA 2025 Main Stage. The winning start-up will receive the Start-Up to Watch Auggie Award-an esteemed honor recognized by XR leaders, investors, and media.
Finalists are as follows:
— Curie
— Virtual Round Ballers
— HyperTunnel
— ClimbRx
— Relic
— reTHINK by Contxtual
— Marionette
— Gabb VR
— Haptikos
— Enklu
See more about the finalists: https://www.awexr.com/usa-2025/startup_pitch.
Join the World's Largest XR Community at AWE USA 2025
AWE USA 2025 will welcome over 5,000 attendees, 400+ speakers, and 250+ global exhibitors at this year's leading immersive event.
Tickets are available for purchase now. Don't miss your chance to be part of the world's most influential XR gathering. Register for the conference here.
Members of the media or content creators that wish to request a media pass can do so at this link: https://awexr.com/press-pass
About AWE:
AWE (Augmented World Expo) is the world's leading AR+VR conference and expo with events in the USA, Asia and Europe. AWE events consistently bring together a mix of CEOs, CTOs, designers, developers, creative agencies, futurists, analysts, investors and top press in a unique opportunity to learn, inspire, partner and experience firsthand one of the most exciting industries of our times.
AWE USA 2025 marks the 16th edition of the must attend global XR industry event; now for the second time in our new home in Long Beach, California.
The 3-day AR VR conference is packed with sessions from 400+ top speakers across 14 tracks; covering tech and applications in many verticals. The Expo Hall features over 250 exhibitors offering hands-on experience with the latest spatial computing technologies.
Pre-conference workshops, community meetups, and networking opportunities give guests numerous ways to connect, learn, and grow their XR businesses at AWE USA.
For more information please contact:
Alyssa MaslowskiLightspeed PR/Mpress@awexr.com
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