Last January, we founded Lumina with the mission of building the next-generation workspace.

We started off by launching a product called the Lumina Webcam, essentially a modern webcam that uses software to make you look good.

Building hardware is hard, and it’s been no different for us. We ran an Indiegogo campaign in September that raised ~$700k, scrambled to figure out hardware production (encountering every obstacle you can imagine - customs, supplier issues, parts incompatibilities), and chewed through enough glass in order to start shipping in December. But between then and now, we’ve scaled up production and have gotten some great customer feedback.

Next: we’re building the desk. We set out to rethink this centuries-old product and figure out how to make it into a more useful, productivity enhancing tool.

To start, we’re viewing the desk as a digital device, not just a mechanical one. Your desk could be an extension of your digital workspace; a complement to your phone and computer.

So we’re designing the Lumina Desk to have an embedded display. The thought is: from your desk, you’ll be able to check your calendar, receive call and chat notifications, and more. Or you can install (or build your own) apps to further customize it.

Think of the browser tabs that you keep open to occasionally glance at – the ones with dashboards or calendars or news feeds. These can now be in your desk, playing a role similar to a paper calendar or newspaper, but now in a seamlessly digital format.

With a digital desk, it can also play an active role in your health. Like a way to schedule times to sit or stand, or sensors that detect ergonomic input, or an in-desk dashboard that shows you your health stats.

Finally, we surveyed all the desks on the market and were surprised that few of them had the core fundamentals people want. How many desks have enough cable storage to hide all your cables? Enough usb and 110v sockets to power your workstation? Enough wireless charging space to charge all your wireless devices? These features should be tablestakes for any professional desk.

We’re in the early days of the desk, and there’s still room to shape the development of the product. If you have ideas on how we make the ultimate workspace, reach out and let us know. If you might be interested in building apps, we’d love to talk to you about building our first few apps.

Thanks so much for reading this. There’s a ton of work to be done, and your early support means a lot to us.