Glance: Revolutionizing Smartphone Experiences, One Lock Screen at a Time

Glance, a trailblazing innovation by the InMobi Group is redefining smartphone engagement through its revolutionary lock screen technology. With its presence on over 400 million smartphones, Glance transforms the lock screen into a gateway for immersive experiences, granting users instant access to real-time updates, entertainment, and dynamic content—all without the need to open multiple apps.

Central to Glance's innovation is its AI Wallpaper feature, a state-of-the-art application of artificial intelligence that creates personalized and ever-changing backgrounds. Unlike traditional static wallpapers, AI Wallpaper dynamically adapts to user preferences, curating a visual journey that resonates with individual interests. From breathtaking landscapes to iconic cultural landmarks and celebrated sports personalities, the lock screen evolves into a vibrant canvas of tailored content, refreshing with every glance.

This seamless integration of personalization and functionality exemplifies Glance's commitment to enhancing user experiences. Whether it's delivering engaging content, stunning visuals, or a quick snapshot of the latest news, Glance ensures that the smartphone lock screen is no longer a static barrier but a dynamic, engaging touchpoint. By merging cutting-edge AI with intuitive design, Glance continues to captivate users and set new benchmarks in mobile technology.

This post provides you with information about how Glance started, its Startup Story, History, Tagline, Logo, Business Model, Funding, Revenue, Competitors, Growth, and more.

Glance - Company Highlights

Glance - About
Glance - Industry
Glance - Founders and Team
Glance - Startup Story
Glance - Mission and Vision
Glance - Name, Tagline and Logo
Glance - Business Model
Glance - Revenue Model
Glance - Challenges Faced
Glance - Funding and Investors
Glance - Investments
Glance - Mergers and Acquisitions
Glance - Growth
Glance - Advertisements and Social Media Campaigns
Glance - Awards and Achievements
Glance - Competitors
Glance - Future Plans

Glance - About

Glance revolutionizes the smartphone experience with its smart lock screen, delivering personalized content, news, and entertainment directly to users without the need to unlock their phones or download additional apps. It transforms the lock screen into a dynamic space for discovery and engagement.

In addition to curated content, Glance offers Glance Games, a free gaming service that includes popular titles like Fruit Chop, Bubble Shooter, and Snake vs Block. With these games accessible right from the lock screen, users can enjoy quick, entertaining breaks anytime, enhancing their overall smartphone experience. Glance transforms your smartphone lock screen into an engaging, personalized experience. With visually stunning content and interactive features, Glance ensures every time you unlock your phone, something is exciting waiting for its user.

A standout feature is Glance Games, offering a wide range of options—from mind-stimulating puzzles to adrenaline-pumping adventures. These games provide a quick escape and a fun way to recharge during a busy day. Plus, Glance uses advanced algorithms to curate content and games tailored to individual preferences, ensuring your lock screen reflects your interests and passions, and making every interaction both entertaining and meaningful.

Glance transforms mobile lock screens into a smart, interactive hub for content management and advertising. The platform delivers personalized, real-time content in the user’s preferred language, offering everything from news updates and short videos to gaming experiences. This direct, user-first approach makes Glance a standout player in the mobile ecosystem.

As part of InMobi, Glance combines cutting-edge technology with innovative monetization strategies, setting a new standard for how content and commerce intersect on mobile devices.

Glance - Industry

India's artificial intelligence (AI) industry is on a rapid growth trajectory. The AI market, valued at $8 billion in 2025, is expected to surge to $17 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 25-35%. Demand for AI talent is also rising, with a projected 15% CAGR, and India boasts the second-largest AI talent pool globally, with 420,000 professionals. Companies are increasingly adopting AI with structured frameworks and dedicated leadership driving innovative use cases.

Glance - Founders and Team

Naveen Tewari 

Naveen Tewari is the Founder and CEO of Glance and InMobi. Naveen Tewari is an accomplished entrepreneur with a Bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Tewari has been instrumental in shaping Glance and InMobi into globally recognized companies at the forefront of innovation in mobile technology and advertising.

Piyush Shah

Piyush Shah is the Co-founder of InMobi and President & COO of Glance. Piyush Shah brings extensive expertise in strategy and product development. He holds an MBA in Strategy and Marketing from the Indian School of Business (ISB) and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering. Shah previously led InMobi’s Marketing Cloud and played a pivotal role in building its performance advertising business and developer platforms.

Mohit Saxena

Mohit Saxena is the Co-founder and CTO of InMobi and Glance. Mohit Saxena has a deep background in technology and telecommunications. Prior to InMobi, Saxena worked at Virgin Mobile and AT&T, where he contributed to innovative solutions and filed several telecommunications patents. His technical acumen drives InMobi and Glance’s tech-forward strategies.

Abhay Singhal

Abhay Singhal is the Co-founder and CRO of InMobi. Abhay Singhal is a visionary entrepreneur with a Bachelor’s degree from IIT Kanpur, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013 for his excellence in entrepreneurship. At InMobi, Singhal oversees global revenue strategies, having previously spearheaded the company’s expansion in Europe and led HR initiatives. His career reflects a passion for growth and innovation.

Glance - Startup Story

Glance, conceptualized in 2015 and officially launched in 2017, emerged after extensive iterations to perfect its product-market fit. Over the years, InMobi has played a pivotal role in shaping Glance’s trajectory across four critical domains: product development, content curation, OEM partnerships, and team building.

Designed with the Indian consumer in mind, Glance integrates unique features catering to regional language preferences, ensuring accessibility and relevance for its diverse user base. Employing advanced algorithms, Glance delivers a personalized array of "glances" tailored to individual user preferences, much like the curated experiences found on platforms such as Twitter now X, Facebook, and Instagram.

While Glance has already captured the attention of millions with its innovative lock screen experience, the platform remains in an exploratory phase regarding monetization strategies. 

InMobi | Indian Mobile Advertising Tech Company | Company Profile

InMobi was founded in 2007(as mKhoj) by Naveen Tiwari, Mohit Saxena, Amit Gupta and Abhay Singhal in Bengaluru. Know more about its company profile, etc.

StartupTalkySarika Anand

Glance - Mission and Vision

Their Purpose

Glance focuses on reinventing how users find and interact with content. By leveraging advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning, they deliver curated, relevant updates that save time and enhance engagement—ensuring users get what they need when they need it.

Their Vision

They strive to make content a tool for empowerment rather than a source of distraction. Glance helps individuals enjoy an effortless flow of information while making it easy to step back and reconnect with the real world, promoting a healthier balance between digital and physical life.

Glance is more than just a platform—it’s a gateway to a smarter, more thoughtful way of experiencing content, designed to enrich life without overwhelming it.

Glance - Name, Tagline and Logo

The vibrant yet balanced color palette symbolizes energy, creativity and focus. Together, these elements make the logo memorable and reflective of the brand’s ethos—delivering value at a glance.

Tagline: "Content in a Snap"—this tagline captures the essence of Glance’s offering. It emphasizes how users can access meaningful content instantly without unnecessary clutter.

Glance’s name, tagline and logo come together to represent a dynamic and user-centric platform, redefining how people connect with digital content.

Glance - Business Model

Glance has carved out a unique niche in the mobile ecosystem by leveraging lock screens as a dynamic space for both content delivery and advertising. Here’s a closer look at its business model and how it works:

• Content: Glance curates a rich variety of content in multiple languages, ranging from real-time news updates to engaging short videos and interactive gaming experiences. The content is powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, ensuring it is personalized and relevant to each user’s preferences and behavior.
• Advertising: Advertising forms the backbone of Glance’s business, contributing a significant 76% of its operating revenue in FY23. By delivering ads directly on the lock screen, Glance provides brands with a unique and highly visible platform to connect with users in an unobtrusive yet effective manner.
• Lock Screen Innovation: The lock screen is Glance’s core touchpoint, transformed into a “smart surface” that offers curated experiences aligned with the user’s intent. By meeting users directly on their phones—without requiring app downloads or additional steps—Glance maximizes engagement and creates valuable opportunities for advertisers.

Glance - Revenue Model

Glance, a B2C unit of the advertising technology giant InMobi, has built a robust revenue model centered around three primary streams:

• Mobile Advertising: The cornerstone of Glance’s revenue is mobile advertising, contributing a significant 76% of its operating revenue in FY23. By leveraging its lock screen platform, Glance provides advertisers with a unique, high-visibility space to engage users directly, delivering targeted ads alongside personalized content.
• Creator- or Influencer-Driven Commerce: Glance taps into the power of creators and influencers to drive commerce. By seamlessly integrating product promotions and collaborations into the platform, Glance creates opportunities for users to discover and purchase items endorsed by trusted voices.
• Digital Commerce: In addition to influencer-driven sales, Glance also generates revenue through direct digital commerce initiatives. The platform’s curated content and interactive experiences serve as a springboard for engaging users in online shopping activities.

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Glance - Challenges Faced

Maintaining Moderation and Appropriateness

As a platform hosting diverse and dynamic content, Glance faces the challenge of ensuring all material aligns with high standards of appropriateness. To address this, Glance employs a hybrid moderation model:

• AI Moderation: Automates content screening at scale, detecting potentially inappropriate or harmful material swiftly.
• Human Oversight: Complements AI by leveraging human judgment for nuanced and context-sensitive decisions, ensuring the integrity of content standards.

This dual approach allows Glance to balance efficiency with accuracy, catering to the varied expectations of its audience.

Scalability and Personalization

Glance’s ability to handle massive user engagement while delivering tailored experiences is driven by its robust AI infrastructure:

• Advanced Techniques: Utilizes distributed programming, clustering and machine learning algorithms to manage enormous volumes of user data and interactions.
• Experienced Team: Engineers with expertise from global ad networks have developed sophisticated systems to ensure seamless scalability and personalization.

User-Centric Content Creation

Glance’s content strategy starts with a deep understanding of its users, ensuring that personalization is both relevant and engaging. By leveraging AI-driven insights and user behavior patterns, the platform creates experiences that resonate, while maintaining a strict focus on appropriateness and quality.

Glance - Funding and Investors

Glance has secured funding from prominent investors, to drive its growth, innovation and expansion in the smart lock screen and content delivery ecosystem.

Glance - Investments

Glance invested in Collective Artists Network on October 25, 2021, to strengthen its content ecosystem and creator-driven commerce capabilities.

Glance - Mergers and Acquisitions

Glance strengthened its ecosystem through strategic acquisitions

Glance - Growth

In FY23, the company reported an operating revenue of INR 325 crore, total expenses of INR 1,448 crore, and a loss of INR 1,094 crore. In FY24, revenue increased to INR 614 crore, while expenses rose to INR 1,569 crore, resulting in a reduced loss of INR 929 crore.

• FY24 Key Metrics: Glance’s ROCE was -1191% and its EBITDA margin stood at -134.9%.
• Efficiency Improvement: The company spent Rs 2.55 to earn Rs 1 of revenue in FY24, reflecting an improvement in operational efficiency compared to FY23.

Glance - Advertisements and Social Media Campaigns

JUNG-E GLANCE: A Breakthrough Esports Campaign

Glance’s latest advertisement campaign, “JUNG-E GLANCE,” made waves in the esports community by showcasing an exciting esports league featuring a lineup of popular games. Titles such as Valorant, Grand Theft Auto 5, Clash of Clans, Call of Duty, Freefire Max and Apex Legends were among the highlights of this groundbreaking initiative.

The campaign was powered by BattleXO, a homegrown Indian e-gaming platform, bringing an authentic and localized touch to the event. Launched on September 17, 2022, the league was streamed live on Glance’s website, drawing significant attention and engagement.

A Resounding Success

The esports league captivated India’s vibrant gaming community, attracting numerous young gamers nationwide. This successful campaign not only reinforced Glance’s position as an innovative advertising platform but also demonstrated its ability to connect with the ever-growing gaming audience in India.

Glance - Awards and Achievements

Award-Winning Campaigns

1. American Tourister: A creative and engaging campaign that leveraged Glance’s smart lock screen to captivate audiences and elevate the brand's visibility.
2. Kuku FM: Showcased Glance's strength in driving personalized content experiences, helping Kuku FM reach its target audience effectively.
3. Nerolac: An impactful campaign that utilized Glance's unique platform to deliver immersive advertising experiences, enhancing brand engagement.

Glance - Competitors

Glance faces competition from players like the following which also provide personalized content and entertainment experiences on smart devices.

• My LiveChat
• GiosgBold
• Chat

Glance - Future Plans

Glance is set to revolutionize content delivery with the upcoming Glance Developer Platform, designed to offer developers significant opportunities to craft premium, immersive experiences for users.

Initial Rollout and Success

• Glance TV, the first phase of this initiative has already launched on over 1 million Airtel Xstream devices, showcasing impressive engagement metrics.
• Users are spending an average of 200 minutes across three sessions daily, reflecting the platform's strong resonance with audiences.

Future Expansion Plans

• Glance aims to extend its reach to 4 million devices in India by June 2025, solidifying its presence in the domestic market.
• Global ambitions are also in sight, with plans to expand the platform to select international markets, paving the way for a broader impact.

This initiative underscores Glance’s commitment to empowering developers while enhancing user experiences, further positioning itself as a leader in the content and advertising ecosystem.

FAQs

What does Glance do?

Glance is an Indian technology company known for its lock screen content platform, delivering personalized news, entertainment, games, and shopping experiences directly on smartphone lock screens.

Who are Glance founders?

The founders of Glance are Naveen Tewari, Abhay Singhal, Mohit Saxena, and Piyush Shah.

Who are the competitors of Glance?

The main competitors of Glance include:

• My LiveChat
• GiosgBold
• Chat