Daylight Computer

What Daylight Computer does

Daylight Computer Co. is a San Francisco-based Public Benefit Corporation (operating on behalf of JANGLE INNOVATIONS INC.) founded in 2019 by Anjan Katta that designs and sells health-focused computing hardware. Its flagship product, the DC-1 tablet, centers on a proprietary LivePaper display — a 60fps reflective LCD that combines paper-like readability with full Android app performance, hardware-level zero blue-light emission via a custom amber LED backlight, DC dimming for flicker-free operation, and IGZO TFT architecture. The device runs Sol:OS, a custom Android 13-based operating system, and supports Wacom EMR passive stylus input for note-taking and PDF annotation; companion apps include the Daylight Capture document pipeline (MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, plus browser extensions) and integrations with SuperDisplay and SpaceDesk for use as a secondary monitor.

The company sells direct-to-consumer through daylightcomputer.com at $729 per DC-1, with accessories (Comfy Sleeve $59, Daylight Sling $49, LAMY Stylus) as secondary revenue. Customer segments are persona-driven rather than vertical-driven: health-conscious individuals seeking reduced eye strain and better sleep, knowledge workers doing long-form reading and writing, families with children (via the Kids DC-1 sub-brand), and users with light-sensitivity conditions such as photophobia or migraines. Go-to-market is pure D2C e-commerce supported by earned media in major tech publications, content marketing on light biology, and CEO podcast appearances; there is no physical retail distribution. The company has raised approximately $53.7M in cumulative funding across a $500K founder round (2021), $1.5M seed (2023), $20M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (2024), and an additional ~$31.7M round (2026), and is structured as a Public Benefit Corporation with an explicit mission "to help technology and humanity live happily ever after."

Name

Daylight Computer

Legal name

Daylight Computer Co.

Website

https://daylightcomputer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Daylight Computer designs and sells the DC-1 tablet, a 10.5-inch Android device with a proprietary zero-blue-light, flicker-free LivePaper display, sold direct-to-consumer for $729 to health-conscious individuals, knowledge workers, families, and light-sensitive users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Electronics (Health-focused tablets)

NAICS

Computer Storage Device Manufacturing (334112), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (449210)

SIC

Computer Storage Devices (3572)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Tablets (HDACAMAA)

Keywords

• Consumer electronics
• Blue light free tablets
• Paper-like displays
• E-ink alternative devices
• Health focused computing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - DC-1 Tablet: One-time purchase of the DC-1 tablet at $729. Primary revenue stream from hardware device sales. Includes device, stylus, charging cable, and extra stylus nibs.
2. Accessories: Sale of complementary accessories including Comfy Sleeve ($59), Daylight Sling ($49), and LAMY Stylus pen.
3. Daylight Capture App: Desktop and mobile app for sending PDFs, EPUBs, and documents to the DC-1. Available free on MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and as browser extensions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Daylight Computer designs, manufactures, and sells the DC-1 tablet computer featuring its proprietary LivePaper display — a paper-like LCD that runs at 60fps, is flicker-free via DC dimming, and offers a hardware-level zero blue light amber backlight. The product is sold directly to consumers via daylightcomputer.com for health-focused reading, note-taking with Wacom EMR stylus, and focused writing use cases.

Product overview

Daylight Computer offers a unified product portfolio centered on the DC-1 tablet with its proprietary LivePaper display technology. The core offering consists of the DC-1 hardware running Sol:OS (Android-based), complemented by the Daylight Capture App for content synchronization. Accessories include the Comfy Sleeve, Daylight Sling, and LAMY Stylus. A specialized Kids DC-1 variant targets younger users with parental controls. Future plans include Sol:OS operating system upgrade and an AI Reading feature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DC-1: The flagship tablet featuring the LivePaper display technology, a 10.5-inch blue light-free, flicker-free paper-like tablet with 60fps refresh rate, Wacom EMR stylus support, and amber backlight option.
• LivePaper
• Sol:OS

Products and services

• DC-1 Tablet The flagship Daylight tablet computer featuring a 10.5-inch LivePaper display running at 60fps, hardware-level zero blue light amber backlight, DC dimming for flicker-free operation, IGZO TFT panel, 1600x1200 resolution, MediaTek Helio G99 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 8000mAh battery, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Wacom EMR stylus support. Sold to consumers for $729 with stylus, charging cable, and extra stylus nibs included.
• Kids DC-1 Child-focused version of the DC-1 tablet featuring built-in parental controls, app management, usage limits, time-based restrictions, and PIN protection, alongside curated child-safe apps such as Khan Kids, DuoABC, Starfall, and Epic Books. Designed for parents seeking a controlled, healthier computing environment for children.
• Daylight Capture App

Quantifiable outcome

• 0% blue light emission (vs ~25-40% in standard LED displays)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kobo (Rakuten): Kobo's e-readers (Elipsa, Sage, Libra) and Kobo Stylus compete with DC-1's long-form reading, PDF annotation, and library-focused use case. Kobo offers broader bookstore integration but similar e-ink limitations.
• Apple iPad: The iPad (especially iPad Air/Pro with Apple Pencil and True Tone/Night Shift) is the mainstream tablet alternative for reading, writing, and note-taking. It competes for the same productivity buyer and has overwhelming ecosystem, app, and accessory advantages—Daylight must continuously justify the eye-health premium over iPad.
• Amazon Kindle: Amazon's Kindle line (Scribe for writing, Paperwhite/Oasis for reading) is the dominant consumer e-reader platform. While Kindle lacks Android app support and Daylight's 60fps refresh, it competes for the same reading-and-eye-comfort dollar at lower price points.

Direct peers

• reMarkable: reMarkable makes e-ink writing tablets (reMarkable 2, Paper Pro) that compete directly with the DC-1's reading, annotation, and paper-like writing use cases, targeting the same focus/distraction-free productivity buyer. It is the closest direct head-to-head competitor in the premium ePaper tablet category.
• Supernote: Supernote (by Ratta) sells premium e-ink writing tablets (Supernote Nomad, A5 X, A6 X) with stylus support and a distraction-free focus on writing and reading—overlapping strongly with DC-1's core use cases and similar premium pricing tier.
• Onyx International (BOOX): BOOX produces a wide range of Android-based ePaper tablets (Tab Ultra, Note Air, Go series) that run full Android apps at relatively high refresh rates—directly mirroring Daylight's positioning of "ePaper with full Android." Pricing and use-case overlap with DC-1 are substantial.

Emerging players

• Bigme: Bigme offers color and monochrome ePaper Android tablets with stylus support and faster refresh rates, positioning similarly to Daylight's "faster ePaper" thesis. It is a less established brand but expanding globally and competes for the same attention-conscious buyer.
• Huawei MatePad Paper: Huawei's MatePad Paper is a HarmonyOS-based e-ink tablet with stylus support positioned for productivity and reading. It competes in the same ePaper-productivity niche with the backing of a major hardware OEM.

Others

• Lenovo Yoga Book (and similar 2-in-1s): Lenovo's Yoga Book line and similar dual-screen or e-ink-keyed 2-in-1 laptops represent adjacent form factors targeting distraction-free writing and note-taking. They are not direct ePaper competitors but address overlapping productivity-and-focus buyer needs.
• Daylight Computer (consumer electronics DTC peers): Companies like Withings and Oura demonstrate the playbook of premium-priced health-focused consumer hardware sold direct-to-consumer at premium price points with strong content marketing. Daylight follows a similar go-to-market model and could learn from their category-creation and ecosystem-extension trajectories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/daylightco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@daylightcomputerco
• Instagraminstagram.com/daylightco
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Daylight Computer