Kinestral Technologies, Inc, developer of Halio smart-tinting glass, has announced that the company has closed a $65 million Series C equity funding round. The funding will be used to launch Halio into North America beginning later this year and into the global marketplace in 2018.
The investment was led by AGC Asahi Glass (AGC), a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials, and included new investor Hermes-Epitek, as well as existing investors 5AM Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, Capricorn Investment Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and Versant Ventures. Jean-François Heris, senior executive officer of AGC and president of AGC Building and Industrial Glass Company, has joined the Kinestral board of directors.
Halio smart-tinting glass delivers shade and protection from the sun’s glare within seconds, achieving the desired tint within three minutes. In its clear state, Halio is indistinguishable from ordinary glass, but unlike ordinary glass, it tints to a range of neutral grays that complement any design style or color palette. With Halio, smart homes and buildings will deliver meaningful improvements in occupant comfort and well-being while achieving the highest levels of energy efficiency.
“Our investors recognize that Halio technology is revolutionary. Halio is also beautiful – in fact, it’s so beautiful that it can be used for interior walls in homes and buildings,” said S.B. Cha, CEO of Kinestral. “With the financial backing of an impressive set of global investors and our strategic partnership with AGC, we can very quickly commercialize Halio worldwide.”
“For over 100 years, AGC has pioneered some of the most important breakthroughs in glass and coatings for our customers,” said Heris. “We see Halio as the natural next step for glass to really connect people to their environment while neutralizing all the negative aspects of heat and glare from the sun. Through our partnership with Kinestral, we continue to transform the glass industry.” Last year, AGC and Kinestral forged a strategic relationship to jointly market and sell Halio.