Glass Imaging, an organization harnessing the facility 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 digicam platforms – from smartphones to drones to wearables and extra.
The Sequence A spherical was joined by earlier Glass Imaging traders GV (Google Ventures), Future Ventures and Summary Ventures, stated Ziv Attar, CEO, Glass Imaging, in an interview with GamesBeat.
Glass Imaging makes use of synthetic intelligence to extract the complete 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 digicam efficiency 10 instances leading to sharper, extra detailed photographs below numerous situations that stay true to life with no hallucinations or optical distortions. Attar thinks of it as taking the “noise” out of photographs so the standard is significantly better.
“We will put our tech in any system that has a digicam in it. The lab or computer systems can seize loads of knowledge from the digicam and it learns to characterize lens aberration, sensor noise, optical blur, after which it creates a community that may reverse these items,” stated Attar.
Qualcomm had a demo final fall displaying off Glass Imaging expertise, highlighting AI processes in smartphones.
Different units that may profit are makers of drones, which have high-accuracy cameras, Attar stated.
“Within the lab, we practice the AI community to appropriate the problems {that a} drone has and we enhance the small print,” Attar stated.
“At Glass Imaging we’re constructing the way forward for imaging expertise,” stated Attar. “GlassAI can unlock the complete 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 big.”
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 numerous demos of the standard of the GlassAI expertise. The uncooked particulars of photographs had been mounted by the AI processing of Glass Imaging, and the photographs seemed lots 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 stage correction, after which we feed it straight to the community. And the AI community mainly does all of the sharpening, denoising, HDR, Edge enhancement, noise removing, colour noise removing — the whole lot occurs inside one piece of neural community, which makes it rather more environment friendly and simply higher,” Attar stated.
Along with the opposite verticals already talked about, the tech could go into issues like AR headsets or AR glasses, as augmented actuality is gaining momentum. So are markets resembling safety cameras and cinema cameras.
“Customers will see higher high quality, and for us that is necessary to begin delivery merchandise,” Attar stated.
“GlassAI leverages edge AI to rework Uncooked burst picture knowledge from any digicam into gorgeous, high-fidelity visuals,” stated 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 lowering noise, delivering superb texture and actual picture content material restoration that outperforms conventional ISP pipelines.”
“We’re extremely proud to guide Glass Imaging’s Sequence A spherical and look ahead to what the group will construct subsequent as they search to redefine simply how nice digital picture high quality may be,” stated 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 very large. We’re excited to see this expertise develop what we thought cameras and imaging units 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 at present’s world, anybody is usually a photographer, and with Glass Imaging’s expertise, the delta between taking images and creating nice pictures is quickly shrinking,” stated Erik Nordlander, basic 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 likely be impactful for tens of millions. We’re proud to proceed on this journey with the Glass Imaging group as they develop 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 1000’s of engineers. Glass Imaging has 16 folks working for it. Among the Glass Imaging group got here from Apple.
Attar stated that he expects some merchandise with Glass Imaging’s expertise are prone to be introduced this yr.
For extra info on Glass Imaging and GlassAI go to https://www.glass-imaging.com/