Locked and Loaded: The Visionaries Who Saw Beyond the Screen

The founding story of Glance begins with its remarkable team of visionary leaders who share a commitment to innovation and user-centric experiences. Naveen Tewari, Abhay Singhal, Mohit Saxena, and Piyush Shah, co-founders of Glance and InMobi, brought their unique expertise together to create a transformative technology platform.

Naveen Tewari

Naveen Tewari, the founder of InMobi and Glance, has always been driven by the philosophy of innovation and disruption. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he received the Dean’s Award for his exceptional leadership. Naveen’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to invest in numerous startups and co-found iSPIRT, which fosters India’s software ecosystem. His vision for Glance stemmed from his desire to unlock the mobile ecosystem’s full potential and reimagine advertising and content discovery in a user-first way​. (Naveen Tewari)

Abhay Singhal

Abhay Singhal, a co-founder of InMobi and the CEO of InMobi Advertising, is an influential leader in the mobile advertising industry. A graduate of IIT Kanpur, Abhay has held key roles, including Chief Revenue Officer and Head of Human Resources at InMobi. His leadership has driven global revenue growth and earned recognition for InMobi as one of the most disruptive companies worldwide. Abhay’s expertise in scaling businesses globally became instrumental in the growth of Glance​. (Abhay Singhal)

Mohit Saxena

Mohit Saxena, the Co-Founder and CTO of InMobi and Glance, brought his extensive experience in technology to the table. Before InMobi, Mohit worked at Virgin Mobile and AT&T, where he contributed to several telecommunications patents. A graduate of IIT Roorkee, Mohit’s passion for leveraging technology to solve problems inspired his contributions to Glance’s innovative platform​. (Mohit Saxena)

Piyush Shah

Piyush Shah, Co-Founder of InMobi and President and COO of Glance, has played a pivotal role in shaping Glance into a leading AI-driven lock-screen platform. With a background in engineering from Delhi College of Engineering and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Piyush has consistently demonstrated entrepreneurial talent. He previously led InMobi’s product development and performance advertising initiatives, driving growth from inception. His focus on AI-driven personalized experiences has been central to Glance’s success​. (Piyush Shah)

AI-mazing Opportunities: The Growing Intelligence Economy

The global artificial intelligence (AI) market has experienced significant growth in recent years and is poised for continued expansion. In 2024, the market size was estimated at approximately USD 196.63 billion, with projections indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.6% from 2024 to 2030. This trajectory suggests that the AI market could reach a valuation of around USD 826.70 billion by 2030. (Grand View Research)

Several factors contribute to this robust growth. Advancements in deep learning, machine learning, and natural language processing have broadened AI applications across various industries, including healthcare, finance, automotive, and retail. The increasing availability of big data and improvements in computing power have further accelerated AI adoption, enabling more sophisticated and efficient algorithms.

Regionally, North America has maintained a dominant position in the AI market, accounting for a significant share of global revenue. In 2023, North America’s AI market was valued at approximately USD 42.0 billion, with expectations of a 25.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2030. (Grand View Research)

The Asia-Pacific region is also emerging as a significant player in the AI landscape, with countries like China and India investing heavily in AI technologies to enhance economic growth and competitiveness. For instance, the AI market in India is projected to reach USD 8 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of over 40% from 2020 to 2025. (Wikipedia)

Similarly, the AI chipset market is experiencing substantial growth. Valued at USD 8.1 billion in 2021, it is forecasted to reach USD 141.76 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 35.9%. This expansion reflects the increasing demand for specialized hardware capable of supporting advanced AI computations. (Taiwan News)

Unlocking Purpose: Glance’s Mission to Make Every Second Count

Glance’s mission is to create interactions that spark joy, inspire engagement, and drive real connections. The company envisions a future where traditionally passive digital interfaces, like smartphone lock screens, become dynamic spaces for content discovery and interaction. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Glance seeks to redefine user engagement, making digital interactions seamless and meaningful.

Problems They Solve

Glance addresses several challenges in the digital content landscape. Users often face information overload, requiring them to navigate multiple apps and platforms to access relevant content. This fragmentation can lead to missed opportunities for discovery and engagement. Glance simplifies this by delivering personalized, real-time content directly to the lock screen, eliminating the need for users to search or switch between apps. This approach enhances user experience by providing immediate access to news, entertainment, and live content tailored to individual preferences.

Business Model

The company’s business model centers on partnerships and content delivery. Glance collaborates with smartphone manufacturers to integrate its platform into devices, ensuring a broad user base from the outset. This integration allows Glance to reach millions of users across Asia and other regions. Revenue generation primarily comes from advertising and content partnerships. By offering a platform for brands and creators to showcase their content directly on users’ lock screens, Glance provides a unique advertising avenue that captures user attention without being intrusive.

Play, Shop, and Swipe Right on Your Lock Screen

Glance Lock Screen

The Glance Lock Screen transforms the traditional smartphone lock screen into a dynamic content hub. It delivers personalized news, entertainment, and interactive experiences without requiring users to unlock their devices. This is achieved through:

• AI-Powered Personalization: Glance utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to analyze user preferences and behaviors. This analysis enables the platform to curate content that aligns with individual interests, enhancing user engagement.
• Real-Time Content Updates: The platform integrates with various content providers and employs APIs to fetch and display the latest information in real-time. This ensures that users have immediate access to current events and trending topics directly from their lock screens.
• Seamless Integration with OEMs: Glance partners with major Android smartphone manufacturers to embed its software at the system level. This deep integration allows for a seamless user experience, as the content is natively displayed on the lock screen without the need for additional applications.

Roposo

Roposo is a short-form video platform acquired by Glance to diversify its content offerings. It provides users with a variety of videos across genres such as fashion, comedy, and music. Key technical features include:

• Multi-Language Support: Roposo supports content in multiple Indian languages, broadening its accessibility and appeal across different regions. This is facilitated by robust language processing capabilities that ensure accurate content delivery in various dialects.
• Content Moderation and Curation: The platform employs AI-driven moderation tools to maintain community guidelines and content quality. Machine learning models detect and filter out inappropriate content, ensuring a safe environment for users.

Glance LIVE

Glance LIVE brings live, interactive content directly to users’ lock screens. This feature includes live shows, concerts, and shopping events, made possible through:

• Low-Latency Streaming Technology: To provide real-time interactions, Glance LIVE utilizes low-latency streaming protocols that minimize delay, ensuring synchronous communication between broadcasters and viewers.
• Interactive Overlays: The platform incorporates interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and clickable links within live streams. These overlays are rendered in real-time, enhancing viewer engagement and participation.

Nostra

Nostra is Glance’s mobile gaming platform, offering a wide array of games accessible directly from the lock screen. Its technical features include:

• Instant Play Technology: Nostra enables users to play games instantly without the need for downloads or installations. This is achieved through cloud gaming infrastructure and progressive web app technologies that deliver games seamlessly.
• Diverse Game Library: The platform hosts a variety of games across different genres, catering to a broad spectrum of user preferences. Regular updates and additions to the game library are managed through a scalable content management system.

Glance TV

Expanding beyond smartphones, Glance TV brings dynamic content to television screens. It offers personalized content, live shows, and interactive features, supported by:

• AI-Generated Content Summaries: Glance TV uses artificial intelligence to generate concise summaries of content, providing viewers with quick insights into various topics. This involves natural language processing techniques to extract and present key information.
• Real-Time Content Generation: The platform employs AI to generate and publish content rapidly, with the capability to update information in as little as eight seconds. This ensures that viewers receive the most current content available. 

Interactive Gaming and Live Shows

Glance offers a treasure trove of over 500 free games that users can play instantly without downloads. The platform includes genres like arcade, puzzle, sports, action, and strategy, with new games added daily. Additionally, Glance hosts live streaming of top esports gamers, interviews with gaming influencers, and information on new title releases. For live entertainment enthusiasts, Glance provides access to game shows, talent competitions, concerts, and more in real-time, allowing users to participate directly from their lock screens. 

Tech to the Future: The Magic Behind Glance

Glance employs a sophisticated technological infrastructure to deliver personalized content directly to users’ lock screens, enhancing engagement and user experience.

At the core of Glance’s technology is its AI-powered personalization engine. This system utilizes advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior, preferences, and interaction patterns. By processing vast amounts of data, Glance tailors content to individual users, ensuring relevance and engagement.

Glance integrates its platform at the system level of Android devices through partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This deep integration allows Glance to deliver content seamlessly to the lock screen without requiring additional applications. The platform’s architecture is designed to handle high traffic volumes, ensuring real-time content delivery to millions of users simultaneously.

To maintain a safe and engaging environment, Glance employs AI-driven content moderation tools. These tools utilize natural language processing and image recognition technologies to detect and filter out inappropriate content, ensuring compliance with community guidelines.

Glance’s platform is built to support a wide range of content formats, including images, videos, live streams, and interactive elements. This versatility allows for a rich user experience, catering to diverse user preferences and engagement styles.

Trophies, Triumphs, and Tech: Glance’s Impact in the Digital Space

In terms of market reach, Glance has experienced substantial growth. As of 2023, the platform reached over 400 million users globally, delivering personalized content directly to their lock screens. This extensive user base has attracted numerous brands seeking innovative advertising solutions. (InMobi Support)

Glance’s innovative approach has garnered industry recognition through various awards. At the MOBEXX Awards 2023, Glance, in collaboration with InMobi, secured three gold awards for campaigns that redefined marketing excellence. Notably, a campaign for Inspired Square’s puzzle game, 2248, showcased on Glance’s gaming platform, Nostra, resulted in over 620,000 global installs, earning a gold award for Mobile Advertising Excellence in App Install Campaign. (InMobi)

In 2024, Glance and InMobi continued their award-winning streak at the MOB-EX Awards, securing 12 trophies across various categories. A standout campaign for Glico Pejoy in Indonesia achieved a 34.3% higher redemption rate than platform benchmarks, earning a gold award for Best Mobile Campaign for a Specific Audience. (InMobi)

Additionally, at the DIGIXX Awards 2024, Glance, InMobi, and Microsoft Advertising were recognized for ad tech excellence. A campaign for American Tourister during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season engaged 2.7 million Indians, achieving a 1.34x higher engagement rate compared to platform benchmarks, and secured a silver award in the Creative Use of Technology category. (InMobi)

Teaming Up: Partners That Keep Glance Ahead

In 2022, Glance unveiled its ‘Indonesia First’ strategy, emphasizing collaborations with Indonesian brands, publishers, and creators to deliver locally relevant content. In the same year, Glance entered a joint venture with Collective Artists Network, India’s largest talent management agency. This collaboration, known as Glance Collective, aims to co-create and operate unique brands in partnership with celebrities and creators, enhancing content diversity and user engagement. 

 In February 2022, Jio Platforms invested $200 million in Glance, aiming to accelerate its expansion into international markets such as the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, and Russia. This collaboration also led to Glance’s lock screen platform being integrated into JioPhone Next smartphones, broadening its user base. (YourStory)

In October 2024, Glance partnered with Swiggy Instamart to introduce a one-tap purchase feature on Glance’s smart lock screens. This integration allowed consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to connect with over 230 million active users, facilitating targeted brand communication and seamless purchasing experiences. (YourStory)

In 2024, Glance partnered with Star Sports to bring cricket fans closer to their idols through exclusive contests. This collaboration allowed users to participate in cricket-related contests directly from their lock screens, with winners getting opportunities to meet prominent cricketers.

Additionally, Glance has collaborated with smartphone manufacturers like realme to integrate its smart lock screen technology into devices, enhancing user engagement and providing seamless content experiences.

Funding the Future: Dollars and Data Behind Glance’s Growth

Glance has secured significant funding and achieved notable financial milestones since its inception. The company has raised $390 million across three funding rounds, backed by 12 institutional investors. (Tracxn)

In its latest Series D round on February 14, 2022, Glance raised $200 million, led by Jio Platforms. This funding valued the company at $1.7 billion post-money, marking its status as a unicorn. The round was facilitated by leading firms like EY, K Law, Khaitan, White & Case, and Morgan Stanley. At the time, Glance reported trailing twelve-month (TTM) revenue of $20.6 million, with a revenue multiple of 72.8x. 

Earlier, on December 22, 2020, Glance secured $145 million in a Series B round, led by institutional investor Mithril and corporate investor Google. This round valued the company at $1 billion post-money, solidifying its position in the tech space. Glance reported TTM revenue of $6 million at a revenue multiple of 141.6x during this period. 

In its initial Series A round on September 10, 2019, Glance raised $45 million, with Mithril as a primary investor. This foundational funding helped establish the company’s platform and fuel its early growth. Glance’s financial metrics have shown consistent revenue growth. For the fiscal year 2023-24, the company reported $73.1 million in revenue, up from $38.7 million in the previous year.

A Glance Into the Future: Your Ideas Could Be Next

Glance operates at the intersection of artificial intelligence, personalization, and real-time content delivery. It transforms the smartphone lock screen into a vibrant, interactive platform, engaging users even before they unlock their devices. This innovative approach redefines how we consume information and entertainment on mobile devices.

Glance’s core strength lies in its artificial intelligence (AI) technology. It uses machine learning algorithms to analyze user preferences, browsing behavior, and engagement patterns. By processing billions of data points daily, Glance personalizes content for each user, ensuring it aligns with their interests. This includes tailored news updates, live event notifications, and interactive content recommendations. 

Glance partners with smartphone manufacturers to integrate its technology at the system level. This deep integration allows seamless operation, with content appearing natively on the lock screen. Users don’t need to download additional apps or make changes to their devices. 

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