What’s the first thing you see when you unlock your phone?
It’s your lock screen, correct?
Maybe it’s a selfie with your partner. A sunset from Goa. A quote that fires you up.
Or maybe… it’s something you never asked for: news snippets, clickbait articles, or even ads.
If that last one sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
The lock screen, once a personal space for photos and inspiration, has quietly become one of the most powerful and overlooked pieces of digital real estate on the internet.
And before you even unlock your phone, you’re already a user of an Indian startup that saw this future unfolding.
Backed by India’s first unicorn, InMobi, this company is called Glance, and it’s turning the lock screen into your new homepage.
But first… Meet InMobi.
To understand Glance, we need to rewind a bit.
InMobi started in 2007 as mKhoj, a humble SMS-based local search service. But it quickly pivoted into the world of mobile advertising.
With backing from SoftBank, InMobi became India’s first unicorn. Today, it operates across the U.S., China, and Southeast Asia.
But the real game changer came in 2019.
That’s when InMobi noticed a quiet, subtle pattern: most people open their phones but don’t open any app. They just glance.
Consumer behaviour varies wildly by country.
In India, people consume content differently. We scroll a lot, but we don’t pay easily. Subscriptions? Rare.
That’s why most tech companies in India, especially those offering content, games, or news, rely heavily on advertising revenue. It’s the only model that works at scale.
In short, ads silently power the Indian internet economy.
When companies can’t charge users directly, they monetize attention.
But what if users don’t open any app?
What if you could show content and ads without needing them to do anything, not even unlock their phone?
That’s the genius behind Glance.
Let’s zoom out and understand the industry first.
India had over 782 million mobile internet users in 2022, and most of them are mobile-first users.
According to the estimates, by 2027, India will be the 4th largest TV ad market, and mobile ads will account for 73% of all internet advertising revenue.
Currently, digital ad spend is split as follows:
- Social media: 30%
- Online video: 28%
- Search ads: 23%
- Display banners: 16%
All of these formats live inside apps.
But Glance bypasses the app layer entirely, putting content and ads directly on the lock screen.
To give you a better understanding, Glance has 235 million active users, and Glance is present in 400 million mobiles. Glance is actively partnered with leading mobile makers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Motorola, Jio, and Realme.
But you might be having this doubt: is it that easy to tap into users’ lock screens?
It requires a huge digital infrastructure and then a lot of investments.
But how is Glance winning?
Before that, let me ask you some questions. Have you installed Glance? Or did you opt in anywhere? No, then how’s that seen on your lock screen?
And you can see this mostly on Android mobiles, but why only Android?
This is where we need to dig deeper. The answer to many questions lies with Google.
Google invested around $145 million in 2020, and it is one of the investors in Glance.
Zoom in to the picture; this is not a regular VC investment that Glance raised or Google did. This is a calculated move by two giants that are playing the long game in the mobile ecosystems of content and attention.
We will delve deeper into two different angles: why Glance raised money from Google and why Google invested.
According to the global stats, Android holds the major market share in the operating system market with a huge 72% globally.
When it comes to India, Android’s market share is 95%. So, it clearly shows Android’s dominance.
Now think, who owns Android? The answer is so simple: Google.
With the partnership of Google, Glance can tap into the Android mobile segment. But again, there’s a problem: Google owns Android, but the OEM? OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer, like Samsung, Realme, Oppo, and all other players.
Glance needed trust and technical partnership. Google’s backing gave it:
- Validation with OEMs like Samsung and Xiaomi.
- Easier integration with Google Play Services.
- Strength in cloud, AI/ML, and infrastructure scaling.
Glance is aiming to expand its user base to 1 billion by the end of 2025.
So, it clearly shows the brilliance of Glance in raising funds from Google.
But why did Google invest?
Google owns Android, but the complete control is with OEMs. As Android is open-source, it enables users to make customizations as per the brand’s choice.
It means Google can’t directly control what happens on the lock screen because that’s up to the OEMs.
Now, by backing Glance, Google expands its territory and influence.
Because even before a user even opens YouTube, Chrome, or Search, Glance is providing the micro-content.
This is a sweet spot for companies that rely on programmatic advertising.
It is a win-win situation for both the companies.
Glance and Google Cloud are building consumer generative AI experiences especially for smartphones and TV screens.
Coming to the performance of Glance, the revenue of the company is at INR 614 crore, and the losses are reduced compared to the previous FY23.
There are some reports saying that Glance will be profitable soon, but the scale they are aiming for will be a game changer in the coming months.
To sum up the article, what is the main key takeaway?
If you’re a founder or a startup enthusiast, don’t just raise money. Raise the right money.
An investor’s value isn’t in their check size; it is in the distribution, trust, partnerships, and infrastructure they bring with them.
Key takeaway
There’s always a gap, even in the most crowded markets.
Competition doesn’t kill ideas, but lack of imagination does.
What Glance did was spot an untouched surface and turn it into a canvas for content, commerce, and connection.
So next time you glance at your phone, remember: You’re not just unlocking a device. You’re entering the new battleground of attention.
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