Zhu Xiaohu's first AI hardware project, "Gyges Labs", has completed tens of millions of yuan in Pre-A round financing. | 36Kr exclusive.

Written by Tian Zhe

Edited by Su Jianxun

36Kr has learned that Gyges Labs has announced the completion of a tens of millions of yuan Pre-A round of financing. The investors are GSR Ventures, Chen Hao, the founder of Shokz, and NYX Ventures.

Gyges Labs (formerly XianShun Technology) was established in 2022, dedicated to creating smart wearable devices by leveraging optical + collaborative AI technology capabilities. Its CEO is Dr. Jia Jieyang from Stanford University, who has served as a core R & D responsibility in several Silicon Valley startups. In 2018, he returned to China to participate in the establishment of Lingming Photonics, a photoelectric sensing chip company, and served as CEO and President.

It is introduced that the core members of the Gyges Labs team include CTO Lu Zheng, who has participated in the research and development of Apple Vision Pro, COO Deng Xudong, who has more than ten years of consumer electronics and global operation experience, and Dr. Qi Siyuan, the chief scientist and AI expert who once worked at Google.

Currently, the company's R & D team accounts for 80%, and the members' backgrounds cover top universities such as Stanford, Tsinghua, and UCLA, and have work experience in international technology companies such as Apple and Google.

The core technology of Gyges Labs, DigiWindow, reduces the volume of the optical module from the centimeter level to the millimeter level, thereby enabling the smart glasses to approach the wearing experience of ordinary glasses.

At the same time, DigiWindow does not require lenses, avoiding problems such as light leakage and rainbow patterns caused by other optical solutions. It not only improves the visual experience but also ensures privacy and security.

It is worth mentioning that The DigiWindow technology is compatible with ordinary optical lenses and can meet the needs of myopic and hyperopic users without customization.

Currently, Gyges Labs has applied the DigiWindow technology to its first AI glasses product created with moody, and this product will be released during the CES exhibition in January 2025. According to Gyges Labs CEO Jia Jieyang, by optimizing the optical display solution and the structural design of the glasses, the weight of this smart glasses is only more than 30 grams.

Specifically, the Gyges Labs smart glasses have independently developed millimeter-level optical technology, abandoning the traditional optical solution and other complex components. This not only reduces the weight but also lowers the power consumption; Secondly, Gyges Labs uses mature eyewear industry materials such as nylon and titanium alloy to achieve lightweight.

The first AI glasses product jointly developed by Gyges Labs and its partners has been unveiled at the 2024 Optical Expo. It is worth mentioning that this is the first AI hardware project invested by the famous investor Zhu Xiaohu.

Zhu Xiaohu, the managing partner of GSR Ventures, said: "Compared with other solutions, the DigiWindow technology of Gyges Labs has a very important advantage: its display module is invisible and can project content to the eyes with a low cost. This technology can greatly expand the application scenarios of information-prompting smart glasses and also help eyewear manufacturers to carry out intelligent upgrades."

In his view, the landing of large models in AI smart hardware is very similar to the once PC Internet wave. The latter emerged a wave of entrepreneurial opportunities in the hardware field, and this phenomenon will also be repeated in the field of large models landing in AI, and hardware-related companies will run out earlier than consumer-end APPs.

At the same time, the integration of AI also makes the application scenarios of the DigiWindow technology more diversified. From the consumer market to industrial applications, whether it is the current AI glasses or other forms of AI Agent in the future, both can achieve a win-win situation of technological breakthroughs and commercial value.

It is reported that Gyges Labs has also independently developed a set of collaborative AI engines for smart glasses, with multiple functions such as real-time environmental perception, intelligent translation, and information prompts, endowing AI glasses with stronger perception and interaction capabilities.

Image source: Gyges Labs

"Through in-depth technological integration, Gyges Labs hopes to make smart glasses the 'second brain' of users, helping them handle tasks efficiently and improve their life efficiency." said Qi Siyuan, the chief scientist of Gyges Labs.

Tong Tong Chan, an investor of NYX Ventures, said, "We are pleased to see Gyges Labs' innovation in ultra-small near-eye display technology, successfully combining AI technology with traditional glasses to develop smart and lightweight devices. Glasses will become the second brain of the office crowd, allowing them to keep their information updated and make efficient decisions in a busy environment."

It is reported that in 2025, Gyges Labs plans to launch a new generation of smart glasses solutions and AI wearable device solutions in various product forms. These new products will further integrate the DigiWindow technology and the collaborative AI engine for a comprehensive upgrade in lightweight, functionality, and interaction experience.