Rao Mulpuri's Smart-glass maker View is raising $100M

Smart-glass startup View Inc. is raising up to $100 million in fresh capital.

The company is raising the round at a $750 million valuation, according to a report from VentureWire on Thursday. The company raised $100 million in early 2014 led by Madrone Capital, a private equity firm associated with the heirs to the Walmart fortune. Prior to this latest funding, the company raised $339 million over several rounds from investors such as Khosla Ventures, 

NanoDimension, Corning, GE Capital, the Westly Group, DBL Investors, Sigma Partners and Navitas Capital.

Founded in 2006, CEO Rao Mulpuri now heads up the Milpitas-based company formerly known as Soladigm. Prior to joining View, Mulpuri was president of Novellus Systems Japan and served as vice president and general manager of the Integrated Metals business unit.

The tint on glass made by View is controlled by electrical charges, which can be applied automatically when lighting changes or can be controlled on demand. According to the company, the windows can cut 20 percent on heating and cooling costs, 20 percent from lighting costs and can reduce electricity use by as much as 25 percent at peak-use times.

Since launching commercialization of the product in 2011, View said it had shipped to more than 100 dynamic glass projects in North America for use in hospitals, hotels, universities, government buildings and businesses. The company figures its potential market is about $100 billion, based on about 10 percent of the world's buildings making use of its glass.