AGC and Kinestral Technologies Join Ventures to Accelerate Global Adoption of Smart-Tinting Glass
AGC Asahi Glass, a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and high-tech materials, and Kinestral Technologies, maker of Halio smart-tinting glass, announced the creation of three joint venture companies that will sell, distribute, and service Halio to meet increasing global demand for smart city solutions. 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 Foxconn Technology Group. The three partners have been introducing Halio in their respective markets since the product was first unveiled in January 2017 at the BAU Trade Fair for Architecture, Materials and Systems in Munich, Germany.
“Partnerships are integral to the successful roll-out of HalioTM smart-tinting glass in the Asia Pacific region to support the growing number of green buildings. As such, 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, while GTOC bolsters our manufacturing expertise and provides us access to China, one of the fastest growing markets for smart-tinting glass,” said S.B. Cha, CEO of Kinestral Technologies.
The technology
Halio technology enables glass to tint, reducing glare and blocking unwanted solar heat – automatically or on command. It looks like ordinary clear glass until it tints, achieving its darkest shade in less than 3 minutes, thus improving occupant comfort in smart homes and buildings while achieving up to 40 percent improvement in 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, 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, former 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.
