AWE Asia 2026: Day 2 Recap and Conference Close

AWE Asia 2026 reached its final day in Singapore with a clear sense of alignment across the community. After two days of ideas, demos, and debate, Day 2 brought focus to what comes next and what it will take to move XR and AI forward responsibly.

Main Stage: Human-Centered Futures Take Shape

The final day opened with Mark Billinghurst, who introduced Empathic XR as a shift from explicit interaction toward systems that sense intent, emotion, and context. Enabled by physiological sensing and AI, the concept points to more human-responsive immersive experiences across areas such as healthcare, training, and everyday use.

Later on the Main Stage, Beng Hui Ong, APAC Senior Solutions Architect at Agora, explored the intersection of physical AI in toys and companion devices, offering a deep-dive case study of how spatial technologies and AI can come together to help people.

Then, Dr. James Ong broadened this discussion of AI for humanity. Dr. Ong, Founder and Managing Director of the Artificial Intelligence International Institute, framed AI as a shared global responsibility. Advocating AI for Humanity as a proposed United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, he underscored the need for governance and collective action to keep AI aligned with long-term human well-being.

Developer momentum followed with a Meta-led session featuring Esther Goh and Sadia Rahman Zain, with contributions from Yoav Goldstein. The discussion highlighted how Meta’s mixed reality stack is evolving into a more cohesive platform, with advances across Horizon OS, MR tooling, and generative AI signaling a move toward scalable, production-ready development.

Track Stages: Applied Signals Across Industries

Across the Track Stages, engagement remained high as speakers shared applied perspectives grounded in real-world use.

In healthcare and medical training, Şenol Pişkin and Berkay Malgır explored how XR systems are being designed with user comfort in mind, combining multisensory feedback and physiological data to reduce motion sickness and improve learning outcomes.

On the enterprise side, Ashray Pai shared how contextual AI is giving XR systems situational awareness across industrial and location-based workflows. Drawing on hands-on work with global organizations, the session emphasized practical pathways for enterprises to test AI and XR together before scaling beyond pilots.

Startup Pitch: Spotlight on Emerging Builders

The AWE Asia Startup Pitch made its debut on Day 2, offering a fast-paced look at emerging ventures shaping the future of XR and spatial computing.

• LIVR, presented by Roberta Pichiorri, showcased an AI- and XR-driven platform designed to improve operational efficiency and human connection across enterprise environments.
• Kepler, led by Yuta Inoue, introduced MEDI, an ambient display and interface system that brings digital information into physical space without headsets.
• Braillic, founded by Camroo Ahmed, shared its work on affordable AR-guided surgical navigation for hospitals in underserved regions.
• VIZON, led by Nikhil Sharma, presented advanced XR and AI smart glasses developed entirely in-house, spanning hardware, software, and manufacturing.
• Filter You, presented by Abdul Khalid, highlighted scalable AR, VR, and AI experiences designed to drive engagement across retail and brand environments.

Each seven-minute pitch emphasized substance over spectacle, reinforcing AWE Asia’s focus on builders, experimentation, and ecosystem growth.

Auggie Awards and Event Wrap-Up

The conference concluded with the Auggie Awards Ceremony, recognizing standout work across the XR ecosystem. Based on onsite engagement and community feedback, the following honors were awarded at AWE Asia 2026:

• Startup to Watch: Braillic
• Best in Show Experience: Refract
• Best in Show: Snap

As AWE Asia 2026 comes to a close, we extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors Snap, Meta, ArborXR, Raypai Photonic Crystal, and Agora, as well as to every speaker, partner, exhibitor, and attendee who contributed to this year’s conversations.

Most of all, thank you to the local Singaporean and global XR and AI communities for bringing curiosity, openness, and momentum to AWE Asia. We look forward to continuing the journey together.

See you next year!