Pristine.io

Pristine.io was an Austin-based startup founded in May 2013 by Kyle Samani and Patrick Kolencherry, coinciding with the initial announcement of the Google Glass program. Samani, who served as CEO, holds degrees in Finance and Management from NYU Stern and had been programming since a young age. His experience leading Pristine involved growing the company to millions in revenue before its eventual acquisition.

The company specialized in developing software for hands-free smart glasses and mobile devices, focusing on video collaboration and remote support for industrial settings. Its core product, EyeSight, provided "see-what-I-see" video streaming capabilities, allowing field workers to connect with remote experts for assistance with inspections, compliance, and repairs. This technology was designed to reduce costs and time associated with these processes. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution was available on smart glasses as well as on PCs, Macs, and various mobile operating systems like iOS and Android. Pristine's client base included major enterprises such as Coca-Cola, Bayer, and The Hershey Company.

The company's journey began with initial funding from angel investors and participation in the Capital Factory incubator program. Subsequently, Pristine secured over $5.4 million in venture capital from investors including S3 Ventures and Healthfundr. A significant milestone was becoming an official partner in Google's "Glass at Work" program in October 2014. The company also gained recognition through pilots, such as one at the University of California, Irvine, and another in the emergency room at Rhode Island Hospital, which led to a peer-reviewed study on smart glass use in healthcare. In May 2017, Pristine was acquired by Upskill (formerly APX Labs), a company operating in a similar augmented reality space for manufacturing. The acquisition aimed to combine Pristine's remote assistance solutions with Upskill's industrial AR platform, Skylight, to create a more comprehensive offering.

Keywords: augmented reality, enterprise software, smart glasses, video collaboration, remote support, field service management, see-what-I-see, wearable technology, industrial AR, SaaS, Kyle Samani, Patrick Kolencherry, EyeSight, Upskill acquisition, Google Glass at Work, remote assistance, knowledge capture, hands-free computing, industrial software, telehealth technology