Glance AI could be shopping’s ‘GPT Moment’, says InMobi founder
Glance AI has been launched in 140 countries and is designed for the “AI consumer” — people who expect technology to understand their preferences even before they do.
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India’s first unicorn, InMobi, has unveiled its most ambitious product yet — Glance AI, an artificial intelligence-driven shopping platform. Launched on Thursday, 22 May, the platform aims to change the way the world shops, using deep intelligence and personalised experiences.
“We are launching an AI commerce platform that is (going to) disrupt shopping in the world,” said Naveen Tewari, founder of InMobi and Glance.
Speaking on CNBC-TV18's Young Turks Reloaded podcast, Tewari compared Glance AI’s potential to UPI in digital payments and ChatGPT in generative AI, calling it a game-changer for global commerce.
"All of these are fundamental shifts in the way consumer experiences change in the world. And I think [Glance AI] is exactly that for commerce in the world. It's going to change the way the world shops ... it's the biggest, the boldest thing we've ever done.”
His co-founder, Abhay Singhal, shared similar optimism, saying, “We are so incredibly excited to be launching this for consumers across the world... probably two big breakthrough movements have come. One was ChatGPT and the second was TikTok. And we think [Glance AI] is possibly going to be the third one...”
AI That Shops Before You Do
Glance AI has been launched in 140 countries and is designed for the “AI consumer” — people who expect technology to understand their preferences even before they do.
By uploading a selfie or an image, users can see photorealistic clothing styles rendered on their own image. This is made possible through diffusion and geometry modelling and a GenAI experience model, which tailors visuals to factors like body type, gender, ethnicity, skin tone, fit, and season.
This particular platform also features an AI shopping assistant that can detect user intent and match visuals with products from millions of global listings.
According to the company, the AI has been trained on 20 years of global commerce data and learns constantly from new trends, cultures, and behaviours — offering insights into user preferences and desires.
“We are leveraging artificial intelligence for the first time, bringing intelligence to commerce,” said Tewari. “We are tuned and trained to think that we can write software, build products, and now train models on which the world will run... we are good enough to create software [and] products that the world should love to use.”
Powerful Partnerships and Expanding Reach
Glance AI has been integrated with Google’s Gemini and Imagen on Vertex AI, and is built with privacy and user control at its core. It is a fully opt-in platform, allowing people to explore, save, share, and even set personalised styles as wallpapers.
Its open architecture is built for deep integration with manufacturers, telecom providers, and brands — turning smartphones into AI shopping hubs and TVs into commerce screens. With just one tap, users can browse looks and products from over 400 international brands while maintaining data privacy.
Early trials in the US show promising results - over 1.5 million active users in a few weeks, 50% of users return weekly, over 40 million style requests, 50% of users download or share styles, 40% begin a shopping journey after engaging with the platform
Although the current model focuses on fashion, Glance plans to expand into beauty, accessories, and travel later in the year.
InMobi at 20: Still Thinking Like a Startup
As InMobi turns 20, the company’s founders remain committed to a startup mindset. Despite being India’s first unicorn, a global company with over 2,000 employees, the leadership insists that agility and reinvention remain central.
“We think that is a sign of a company that remains a startup. And startup is not a function of size, it's a function of state of mind,” said Tewari.
That mindset has carried InMobi from its origins as a mobile advertising network to a tech leader now shaping the AI-led shopping experience with Glance AI. Tewari admitted their early global push was not planned but instinctive.
“I think the first time we did this I would say we were absurd... We were too young to really know what it entailed... if we knew that it was so complex... we probably would not have done it.”
Unlike many startups that chase growth at any cost, InMobi focused on profitability from the beginning. It’s a principle Tewari believes enabled the company to make big, future-facing bets like Glance AI.
“We fundamentally believe businesses should run profitably. It's not profound—but in the startup world, it was radical,” he said. InMobi’s unicorn milestone in 2011 was celebrated years later at a national level.
“The most proudest moment was at the 75th anniversary of our independence. The government put out 75 big milestones... and for 2011, they put this as the biggest milestone,” Tewari shared.
With new innovations, Glance AI marks the beginning of InMobi’s next phase — one where Indian technology leads global transformation.
Tewari concludes with a reminder that unease is part of progress, “We like to maintain the fact that we are starting... it's a state of nervousness that you're in. And I think you've got to be nervous... you've got to be a little bit more careful.”
