Glass Imaging, an organization harnessing the ability of synthetic intelligence to revolutionize digital picture high quality, raised $20 million in funding.
International software program investor perception Companions led the spherical. With the funding, Glass Imaging will proceed to refine and implement their proprietary GlassAI applied sciences throughout a variety of digital camera platforms – from smartphones to drones to wearables and extra.
The Collection A spherical was joined by earlier Glass Imaging traders GV (Google Ventures), Future Ventures and Summary Ventures, mentioned Ziv Attar, CEO, Glass Imaging, in an interview with GamesBeat.
Glass Imaging makes use of synthetic intelligence to extract the total picture high quality potential on present and future cameras by reversing lens aberrations and sensor imperfections. Glass works with producers to combine GlassAI software program to spice up digital camera efficiency 10 occasions leading to sharper, extra detailed pictures below varied situations that stay true to life with no hallucinations or optical distortions. Attar thinks of it as taking the “noise” out of pictures so the standard is a lot better.
“We are able to put our tech in any system that has a digital camera in it. The lab or computer systems can seize lots of knowledge from the digital camera and it learns to characterize lens aberration, sensor noise, optical blur, after which it creates a community that may reverse this stuff,” mentioned Attar.
Qualcomm had a demo final fall exhibiting off Glass Imaging expertise, highlighting AI processes in smartphones.
Different gadgets that may profit are makers of drones, which have high-accuracy cameras, Attar mentioned.
“Within the lab, we prepare the AI community to appropriate the problems {that a} drone has and we enhance the main points,” Attar mentioned.
“At Glass Imaging we’re constructing the way forward for imaging expertise,” mentioned Attar. “GlassAI can unlock the total potential of all cameras to ship gorgeous ultra-detailed outcomes and razor sharp imagery. The vary of use circumstances and alternatives throughout trade verticals are enormous.”
I used to be capable of go to Glass Imaging at its headquarters in Los Altos, California, the place I used to be capable of see varied demos of the standard of the GlassAI expertise. The uncooked particulars of pictures had been fastened by the AI processing of Glass Imaging, and the pictures seemed rather a lot higher, whether or not there was low gentle or good gentle, within the demos that I noticed.
“In our case, the pipeline is easier. We take the identical uncooked knowledge, do some tremendous fundamental, low degree correction, after which we feed it straight to the community. And the AI community principally does all of the sharpening, denoising, HDR, Edge enhancement, noise elimination, colour noise elimination — all the things occurs inside one piece of neural community, which makes it way more environment friendly and simply higher,” Attar mentioned.
Along with the opposite verticals already talked about, the tech might go into issues like AR headsets or AR glasses, as augmented actuality is gaining momentum. So are markets reminiscent of safety cameras and cinema cameras.
“Customers will see higher high quality, and for us that is vital to begin transport merchandise,” Attar mentioned.
“GlassAI leverages edge AI to rework Uncooked burst picture knowledge from any digital camera into gorgeous, high-fidelity visuals,” mentioned Tom Bishop, cofounder and CTO of Glass Imaging, in a press release. “Our superior picture restoration networks transcend what is feasible on different options: swiftly correcting optical aberrations and sensor imperfections whereas effectively decreasing noise, delivering high quality texture and actual picture content material restoration that outperforms conventional ISP pipelines.”
“We’re extremely proud to guide Glass Imaging’s Collection A spherical and sit up for what the workforce will construct subsequent as they search to redefine simply how nice digital picture high quality might be,” mentioned Praveen Akkiraju, managing director at Perception Companions, in a press release. “The ceiling for GlassAI integration throughout any variety of platforms and use circumstances is huge. We’re excited to see this expertise increase what we thought cameras and imaging gadgets had been able to.”
Akkiraju will be a part of Glass Imaging’s board and Perception’s Jonah Waldman will be a part of Glass Imaging as a board observer.
“In immediately’s world, anybody generally is a photographer, and with Glass Imaging’s expertise, the delta between taking images and creating nice pictures is quickly shrinking,” mentioned Erik Nordlander, common companion at GV, in a press release. “The perfect-in-class expertise that Glass is pioneering, paired with the corporate’s dedication to interoperability, will probably be impactful for tens of millions. We’re proud to proceed on this journey with the Glass Imaging workforce as they increase the boundaries of what’s potential in imagery.”
Glass Imaging beforehand introduced a $9.3 million prolonged Seed funding spherical in 2024 led by GV and joined by Future Ventures, Summary and LDV Capital. That funding spherical adopted an preliminary Seed funding in 2021 led by LDV Capital together with GroundUP Ventures.
Attar proudly says that the standard that Glass Imaging can get goes to be aggressive with what Apple can do with hundreds of engineers. Glass Imaging has 16 folks working for it. A few of the Glass Imaging workforce got here from Apple.
Attar mentioned that he expects some merchandise with Glass Imaging’s expertise are more likely to be introduced this 12 months.
