TOKYO, June 19 (Reuters) - Japan's TDK said on

Thursday it has acquired U.S.-based SoftEye, which makes

software and hardware for smart glasses, as the smartphone

battery maker looks for growth drivers linked to artificial

intelligence.

SoftEye, based in San Diego, California, develops technology

that facilitates eye tracking and object recognition. Its

founder and CEO, Te-Won Lee, was an executive at Samsung

Electronics ( SSNLF ) and Qualcomm ( QCOM ).

The deal is worth less than $100 million, a source familiar

with the matter said.

Technology firms are looking to hardware beyond smartphones,

with Facebook owner Meta and others focusing on smart

glasses that use AI to facilitate interaction between users and

the environment.

Social media company Snap has said it will launch

smart glasses for consumers next year, and last month Alphabet's

Google demonstrated smart glasses at its developer

conference.

Chipmaker Qualcomm also demonstrated a processor for smart

glasses this month.

TDK, which was once well known for its cassette tapes, is a

major manufacturer of electronic components and supplies

batteries for smart glasses.