Top 13 Eyewear Startups to Watch in 2026
New companies across the globe are reshaping the eyewear market. They are introducing everything from advanced medical devices to new e-commerce platforms.
Finland-based IXI has raised $40.9M to create adaptive eyewear. Meanwhile, China's Dearer Medical is developing eye-related products with CN¥720M in funding.
Below is our list of 13 Eyewear startups worth keeping an eye on.
Failory's Top 10 Picks
Eyebot builds fully-automated vision testing kiosks that use robotics and AI to make eye exams more accessible. Their technology allows anyone to receive a prescription for glasses or contacts in under five minutes.
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Jack Moldave, Matthias Hofmann |
| Funding Amount | $29.9M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | National Science Foundation, General Catalyst, Village Global, Baukunst, AlleyCorp |
IXI is creating the world's first adaptive eyewear, which uses liquid crystal lenses to automatically adjust focus as the wearer's gaze shifts. This technology provides seamless clarity from near to far, mimicking the experience of natural vision.
| Headquarters | Espoo, Southern Finland, Finland |
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Klaus Melakari, Niko Eiden, Rebecca Xu, Ville Miettinen |
| Funding Amount | $40.9M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Tesi, Heartcore Capital, Plural Platform, byFounders, Firstminute Capital |
Smart Vision sells a wide range of eyewear, including prescription glasses, sunglasses, and specialized protective lenses. The online retailer offers fashionable frames for both men and women.
| Headquarters | Riga, Riga, Latvia |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Arunas Vismantas |
| Funding Amount | €3M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Open Circle Capital |
Laclarée develops adaptive eyeglasses that automatically adjust their focus for people with presbyopia. Their technology offers a clear, wide field of vision by eliminating the visual distortions common in traditional progressive lenses.
| Headquarters | Lyon, Rhone-Alpes, France |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Bruno Berge |
| Funding Amount | €8M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Bpifrance, HTGF (High-Tech Gruenderfonds), UI Investissement, KREAXI, EIC Accelerator |
Dearer Medical develops and manufactures medical devices for the ophthalmology sector. Their product line is focused on supporting eye surgery and includes items like intraocular lenses and ophthalmic viscosurgical devices.
| Headquarters | Minhang, Shanghai, China |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | CN¥720M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Qiming Venture Partners, Legend Capital, Insight Capital, CPE Yuanfeng, Tianjin Haida Venture Capital Management |
Morrow Optics builds autofocal glasses designed to restore visual comfort for people with aging eyesight. The company's core technology uses liquid crystals to allow the lenses to switch focus automatically.
| Headquarters | Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Jelle De Smet, Paul Marchal |
| Funding Amount | €14.1M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | imec, imec.istart, New Science Ventures, PMV, Qbic Fund |
Kodano Group built a major online business selling contact lenses and its own line of spectacles. To complement its digital storefront, the company also operates the KODANO Optyk retail network of physical optical shops.
| Headquarters | Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland |
| Year Founded | 2004 |
| Founders | Jacek Młodawski, Mateusz Matula |
| Funding Amount | €9.3M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Vinci |
Eyerim runs an online optician store that gives customers direct access to a broad selection of eyewear. Their product range spans from functional computer glasses to high-performance snow and sports goggles.
| Headquarters | Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia (Slovak Republic) |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Andrea Zahurancova, Branislav Ramsak, Martin Zahuranec, Yassaman Omidbakhsh |
| Funding Amount | €4.7M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Inovo.vc, 3TS Capital Partners, Eterus Capital, Neulogy Ventures |
Bids.com runs an online auction marketplace for jewelry, fashion, and collectibles. Their platform allows consumers to bid on a wide variety of goods, from luxury watches to fine art, in timed online events.
| Headquarters | Valencia, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | David Zinberg |
| Funding Amount | $1.7M |
| Startup Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | — |
Iristick develops augmented reality smart glasses for industrial and professional applications. Their devices provide frontline workers with hands-free access to digital information and allow for real-time collaboration with remote experts.
| Headquarters | Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Steven Serneels |
| Funding Amount | $6.7M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | European Union, Saffelberg Investments, Innovation Fund, Department for International Development |
3 Additional Eyewear Startups Worth Following
Our top ten picks are just a glimpse into the exciting work happening in eyewear. Other founders are tackling everything from biotech to retail, raising millions in funding along the way.
Some are early in their journey, while others have been building for over a decade. Here are a few more startups that are helping shape the industry.
| Startup | Main Industry | Year Founded | Amount Raised | Last Funding Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cassini Technologies | Biotech | 2006 | €1.6M | Series A |
 CLAIRE | Retail | 2021 | $100k | Pre-Seed |
 FABBRICATORINO | Retail | 2017 | €1.2M | Equity Crowdfunding |
