AGC Asahi Glass (AGC), a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials , and Kinestral Technologies, Inc. (Kinestral Technologies), maker of Halio™ smart-tinting glass, today announced the creation of three joint venture companies that will sell, distribute, and service Halio to the global market. Formed to accelerate the adoption of Halio, the new ventures – Halio North America, Halio International, and Halio China – will be the exclusive sales and marketing agents for Halio smart-tinting glass in the commercial and residential housing industries. Halio China includes a third partner: G-Tech Optoelectronics Corp. (GTOC), a subsidiary of the Foxconn Technology Group. The three partners have been introducing Halio in their respective markets since the product was first unveiled in January at the BAU Trade Fair for Architecture, Materials and Systems in Munich, Germany. The joint ventures were formed to meet worldwide demand.
“Joining forces with AGC gives us access to a global sales and support infrastructure as well as decades of expertise in the use of glass in facades. GTOC meanwhile bolsters our manufacturing expertise and gives us access to China, one of the fastest growing markets for smart-tinting glass,” said S.B. Cha, CEO of Kinestral Technologies.
Halio technology enables glass to tint, reducing glare and blocking unwanted solar heat – automatically or on command. Halio looks like ordinary clear glass until it tints, achieving its darkest shade in less than 3 minutes. Halio improves occupant comfort in smart homes and buildings while achieving the highest levels of energy efficiency.
“We are convinced that Halio technology is poised to transform the glass industry,” said Jean-François Heris, senior executive officer of AGC and president of AGC Building and Industrial Glass Company. “Natural light is the #1 most desired feature in office designs, but conventional glass requires blinds, shades, and awnings or architectural elements that block heat and glare. Halio gives people the best of the outdoors while meeting increasingly stringent energy codes.”
Jim Arnold, formerly senior vice president of sales at Control4 and DIRECTV, will head Halio North America. Alain Jardinet, a veteran executive of AGC Glass Europe, will lead Halio International which will sell to all markets outside of North America and China. Halio China will be headed by Alex Jiang, an executive of GTOC.
About AGC
AGC Asahi Glass (also called AGC, Registered Company name: Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., Headquarters: Tokyo, President & CEO: Takuya Shimamura) is the parent company of the AGC Group, a world-leading glass solution provider and supplier of flat, automotive and display glass, chemicals, ceramics and other high-tech materials and components. Based on more than a century of technical innovation, the AGC Group has developed a wide range of cutting-edge products. The AGC Group employs some 50,000 people worldwide and generates annual sales of approximately 1.3 trillion Japanese yen through business in about 30 countries. www.agc-group.com
About Kinestral
Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Kinestral Technologies, Inc. develops technologies that transform glass into responsive, intelligent, and beautiful architectural elements. The company has a growing global patent portfolio in manufacturing, device processing, and smart window control systems. Halio™ smart-tinting glass is the company’s flagship product. Learn more at http://www.kinestral.com, and follow us @Kinestral and on LinkedIn.
About GTOC
GTOC, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, is recognized for its first-tier brand customers in consumer electronics and non-consumer electronics segments such as architecture and automobiles.
