Liz Gannes

Recent Posts by Liz Gannes

Corning Invests in Perhaps the Biggest Smart Device Yet: View’s Intelligent Glass

A startup glass manufacturer called View just got a big endorsement from market leader Corning, which is leading its $60 million Series E round.

Milpitas, Calif.-based View makes something called “dynamic glass,” which adjusts its tint automatically based on how bright it is, and which can also be wirelessly controlled from an app.

The idea is to allow people to design buildings using entire walls of glass without the downside of making rooms uncomfortably warm in the sun.

And that in turn leads to better natural climate control: View says it can help reduce annual energy consumption by 20 percent and HVAC peak load by 25 percent.

In addition to the equity investment, Corning is “committed to exploring integrating their glass into our product,” said View CEO Rao Mulpuri, who added that the companies have been talking for years.

Making glass for buildings might seem at the periphery of tech, but Mulpuri described his company’s product as a massive connected device.

“If you look at the intersection of data and digital things, this is right in the middle of that,” he said. “We can use complex algorithms and sensing to set the conditions to meet user comfort, and you’re also able to intelligently control to your needs.”

Six-year-old View has 200 employees and has raised more than $180 million, with Khosla Ventures involved since the early days. In addition to Corning, Khosla, General Electric, Sigma Partners and NanoDimension participated in the round.

If you happen to be in San Francisco, View glass has been installed at the W hotel, in its lobby and lounge areas.

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