In 2026, Google is poised to re-enter the wearables market with their first artificial intelligence glasses, a significant follow-up to their earlier and more experimental Google Glass project. These new glasses aim to combine practicality with cutting-edge tech integration, offering entrepreneurs and small business owners innovative ways to stay organized, informed, and engaged in everyday tasks.
What We Know So Far
Two Models on the Horizon
Google promises versatility by offering two types of AI glasses designed for different preferences and needs:
- Screen-Free Assistance Glasses
- Equipped with built-in microphones, speakers, and a camera.
- Users can perform voice-based actions via Google Gemini, like asking questions, managing schedules, or even capturing photos.
- This model seems to focus on simplifying workflows for busy professionals who are constantly on the move.
- In-Lens Display Glasses
- Features a private display embedded in the lenses, visible only to the wearer.
- Perfect for entrepreneurs who need visual input, such as directions during commutes or real-time captions during meetings.
Both glasses run on Android XR, Google's operating system for augmented and mixed reality devices, already featured in Samsung's Galaxy XR headset.
Key Partnerships for Style and Accessibility
A recurring struggle for such products has been balancing practical use with an aesthetic that appeals to people outside the tech world. For this project, Google has teamed up with some major players in the eyewear and tech spaces:
- Warby Parker: Known for affordable and stylish glasses.
- Gentle Monster: A luxury brand that appeals to high-fashion preferences.
- Samsung: Present in the core tech development, solidifying Android XR as a serious ecosystem contender.
These partnerships are vital for making tech glasses not only functional but also something professionals, particularly women in businesses or startups, might feel confident sporting daily.
Why This Matters for Female Entrepreneurs in Europe
Always-On AI for a Busy Lifestyle
Running a business comes with constant decisions and unforeseen challenges. Whether you're looking to organize tasks, manage meeting schedules efficiently, or simply explore creative ideas via voice prompts, these glasses could save time. For example, the screen-free model could enable users to interact with AI without relying on a phone or laptop, reducing distractions while multitasking.
Augmented Reality for Workspaces
For those navigating modern remote work or hybrid environments, the in-lens display version holds promise. Imagine pulling up an agenda, reviewing deadlines, or even collaborating on visual documents in virtual reality, all while commuting or sitting in a café. This could bring all-new productivity hacks for freelancers and CEOs alike.
Standing Out in a Competitive Industry
Speaking from experience as someone in the startup ecosystem, technology that gives women entrepreneurs tools to structure their time in creative, accessible ways is a welcome shift. It's also empowering to see Google investing heavily into this field to compete with others like Meta and Apple, potentially driving prices down over time while increasing adoption.
Step-by-Step: How Entrepreneurs Can Prepare
Here’s how female professionals and business owners can benefit from integrating wearable technologies like these glasses into their routines:
-
Assess Your Work Style
Identify if tasks like navigation, schedule management, or data review can be streamlined. The glasses may replace or complement traditional tools like smartphones. -
Leverage AI Beyond Basics
Use Google Gemini for not just information retrieval but real-time productivity solutions, such as brainstorming or monitoring outreach campaigns. AI assistants are becoming vital, so this adaptation is logical. -
Test Compatibility with Business Tools
Google's wearables are expected to integrate seamlessly with key apps like Google Drive, Gmail, and Calendar. You'll want to verify how your existing tools sync with them for full utility. -
Budget and Accessibility
Style-conscious professionals might lean toward a Gentle Monster design, but if affordability is more important, Warby Parker’s promise of mainstream accessibility shouldn't be overlooked.
Lessons Learned from Google's Past
Their original Google Glass project, launched in 2013, failed due to poor design adoption and privacy-related controversies. Google has since adjusted its approach. By diversifying the product into styles that cater to both tech-savvy and fashion-forward users, they address previous missteps. For women entrepreneurs in Europe, this shift feels long overdue. A thought-out product design means it’s no longer “tech for tech’s sake,” but smart glasses with practical benefits.
Missteps to Avoid When Adopting the Glasses
Overreliance on AI
AI is a powerful assistant, but context matters. Always cross-check decisions made by Gemini or similar tools, especially for nuanced tasks like legal documentation or client communications.
Ignoring Data Privacy
Running a team or business often involves sensitive interactions. Knowing how Google handles stored data, transcriptions, or photos captured via these devices will be essential before making them integral to daily operations.
Overpaying for Features You Don’t Need
Anyone bootstrapping their way into entrepreneurship (like many of us across Europe) knows every euro counts. Before buying, try to match the specifics of your daily needs to the feature set of each model.
Big Opportunity: Adoption in Europe
The coming launch could build significant inroads for women-led startups. Access to tools that are sleek enough to ditch the “gadget accessory” label could increase their appeal across Europe. Wearables like these have cultural resonance; in some circles, they can signal modernity, creativity, and tech-savviness.
For founders raising funds in places like Berlin, Lisbon, or Amsterdam, this is also an edge. Devices like these would deliver subtle reminders to potential collaborators and investors that you’re evolving with the times while prioritizing efficiency.
What’s Next for Smart Wearables
The current interest in mixed-reality devices suggests 2026 will be a year full of experimentation across industries and demographics. Google is betting early that its partnerships (especially with brands like Warby Parker) will bring wearables into the mainstream.
Closing Thoughts
As we approach this technological shift, it’s essential to stay curious yet critical. The benefits of Google’s AI glasses lie in how well they adapt to your routines without feeling intrusive or unnecessary. Female entrepreneurs, specifically, should evaluate how the screen-free convenience or augmented capabilities align with their goals, from saving time to creating smoother interactions at work.
While these glasses won’t substitute hard-earned entrepreneurial acumen, they could certainly become partners in productivity for ambitious business owners who want to stay one step ahead.
FAQ
1. What are Google’s AI glasses expected to offer?
Google’s AI glasses will provide two models: screen-free assistance with microphones, cameras, and AI features, and in-lens displays for personalized visual inputs like directions or captions. Read about the glasses' features
2. When will Google’s AI glasses launch?
Google's AI glasses are set to launch in 2026, marking the company's re-entry into wearables with AI-driven capabilities. Learn about Google’s AI Glasses launch date
3. What operating system will power Google’s AI glasses?
The glasses will be powered by Android XR, the same system supporting Samsung Galaxy XR, enabling seamless integration with augmented reality tools. Discover Android XR features
4. Who are Google's partners in designing the AI glasses?
Google has partnered with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and Samsung to design lightweight, stylish, and user-friendly smart glasses. See partnership details
5. How do Google’s AI glasses support productivity?
By incorporating Google Gemini for voice-based tasks and visual AI enhancements, these glasses promise increased productivity for entrepreneurs and professionals. Learn about Google Gemini integration
6. What distinguishes the screen-free model?
The screen-free glasses focus on audio interactions, enabling users to take photos and ask Gemini AI questions without relying on a display. Read about screen-free assistance models
7. What roles do AR and AI play in the in-lens display glasses?
The in-lens display glasses offer augmented reality functions like real-time data, directions, and captions visible only to the user, powered by AI integration. Explore AR and AI in eyewear
8. Why is this launch significant for European female entrepreneurs?
The glasses aim to streamline productivity and multitasking, making them ideal for women navigating competitive startup landscapes in Europe. See insights for entrepreneurs
9. How does Google address past failures with wearable tech?
Google revamped their approach after the Google Glass mishap by prioritizing aesthetics and usability through partnerships with eyewear brands. Learn from Google’s previous wearables lessons
10. Who else is competing in the AI wearable space?
Google faces competition from Meta, Apple, and Snapchat, all of whom are launching similar AI-powered glasses. Dive into the competition
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
