Ed Stevenson, investment manger at SFC Capital looks at why investment and growth into the augmented reality sector will accelerate over the next decade.

After a stuttering start - which could in fact be traced all the way back to the development by cinematographer Morton Heilig in the mid-1950s of the Sensorama, an arcade-style theatre cabinet that used stereo speakers, a stereoscopic 3D display, fans, smell generators, and a vibrating chair to stimulate all the senses - augmented reality (AR) seems set finally to break through into the mainstream. The global market is projected to reach $149 billion by 2025, up from just $4.32 billion in 2017.