Tom Emrich

Sometimes called the “man from the future,” Tom Emrich is recognized as one of the world’s leading thought leaders in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and wearable technology. He is a verified Top Voice on LinkedIn.

A pioneer in this space, Tom started working in AR in 2009 and has over a decade-long track record of running tech teams and providing strategic direction in emerging technologies for powerhouse brands and organizations.

As Director of Product at Niantic, Tom is responsible for product strategy and product development of Niantic's augmented reality platforms, including its Unity SDK (Lightship ARDK) and its web-based AR platform, 8th Wall, as well as the use of these platforms to power AR in Niantic's popular games, including its Rewarded AR ads. He leads a passionate team of product managers who are equipping developers with powerful tools to create AR experiences for smartphones and headsets. Previous to this, Tom served as the VP of Product for 8th Wall, leading product and marketing efforts, which resulted in the acquisition of 8th Wall by Niantic in 2022.

Prior to joining 8th Wall, Tom played a critical role in building the AR/VR/wearable community. In 2013, Tom founded We Are Wearables which he grew to the largest wearable tech community of its kind before it was acquired by AugmentedReality(dot)org, the non-profit behind AWE. At AWE, Tom produced conferences, expos, and meetups around the world, helping it become the world's #1 spatial computing community.

Tom is an investor in spatial computing, currently making select angel investments in this space. Previously, he was one of the founding partners at Super Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based VC fund dedicated to early-stage investing in AR. Investments made during his time include Gravity Sketch, Forcite (acquired by GoPro), Cognitive3D, Quantum Capture, and 6D.ai (acquired by Niantic).

Tom's past experience also includes reporting on the AR/VR/wearables space. He was a freelance journalist for various tech publications and a wearable tech expert on a recurring TV segment on Canada's largest morning show. In 2012, Billion-dollar revenue global events leader UBM acquired Tom’s influential blog about wearable tech, which was one of the earliest sources of news and analysis in the sector.

Tom’s thoughts on AR/VR and wearables have been featured in major publications such as CNN, BBC, Forbes, and NY Times and on stage at conferences such as TEDx, Slush, CES, Festival de Cannes, Elevate, SXSW, SPIE, & Siggraph.