Mobile content provider Glance is in advanced negotiations to raise up to $250 million in a new funding round, with existing backer Google expected to lead the investment. The deal, which could be finalized within a few weeks, would support Glance’s expansion efforts. However, discussions are still ongoing, and the agreement is not yet confirmed.
This potential funding would further strengthen Google’s investment in India, a key market where it competes with local and global rivals such as Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Amazon. Google’s Android operating system remains dominant in India, but it faces increasing competition from Apple and other tech firms targeting the country’s growing middle class.
Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., has not responded to requests for comment, and a Glance representative declined to discuss speculation.
Glance offers a curated screensaver for mobile devices that displays content like news without requiring users to unlock their screens or open apps. The platform boasts over 300 million users across markets including India, the US, Japan, and Indonesia.
Glance previously secured funding from Google in late 2020 and received a significant $200 million investment from Mukesh Ambani’s group in 2022, which valued the company at over $1 billion.
The startup is primarily owned by mobile-advertising firm InMobi Pte., founded by Naveen Tewari in 2007. InMobi, which became the first venture-backed Indian unicorn in 2011, was supported by SoftBank Group Corp. Tewari later co-founded Glance in 2019.
