Tang wouldn't comment on the layoff or Tewes' departure, but did confirm his new role. He also suggested that the move didn't hint that Avegant's future was in doubt. Its goal remains the same, he said, and it's about to close a $10 million funding round that would help it fulfill its AR ambitions.

The remarks are consistent with Avegant's strategy so far. It's not interested in directly selling its own AR headsets, but rather on offering its technology to hardware partners. The remaining team should still help toward that end. However, such a drastic shakeup indicates that it won't be easy going for the wearable tech company, at least not in the near future.