Warby Parker is partnering with Google to develop AI-powered smart glasses built on Android XR. The collaboration will fund product development and commercialization, with Google already committing $75 million. Google may invest an additional $75 million to take an equity stake if Warby Parker meets specified milestones. The companies said they intend to launch a series of products over time, with the first line arriving after 2025. That initial line will incorporate multimodal AI and include both prescription and non-prescription glasses. Warby Parker's established designs and retail footprint are flagged as likely advantages for commercialization, a strategy compared to Meta's partnership with EssilorLuxottica. Warby Parker was founded 10 years ago to sell prescription glasses online and has since expanded into sunglasses and children’s frames. The company developed a home try-on process and now operates 125 stores across the U.S. and parts of Canada. It has launched digital products including a Prescription Check app (2017), a virtual AR try-on feature (2019), and a New York telehealth service to extend prescriptions. During COVID-19, Warby pivoted its Buy A Pair, Give A Pair program to help stop virus spread in high-risk countries and used its New York Optical Lab as a distribution center for donated N95 masks. The company is valued at $3 billion following the recent rounds and has raised $535.5 million in total to date. In its 10 years of existence Warby has balanced technological innovation with physical retail expansion. Warby Parker is a New York City-based eyeglasses retailer co-founded in 2010 by Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal. The company sells eyeglasses, including prescription lenses, and sunglasses through both online channels and physical stores. It offers products at relatively affordable prices and also markets a collection of related accessories. In March 2018 Warby Parker raised $75m in a Series E round that reportedly values the company at $1.75 billion. The company said it will use the funds to continue to expand the business. The round was led by existing investor T. Rowe Price. Warby Parker began as an online distributor allowing customers to order and try several pairs of brand-name glasses that retailed for under $100 by cutting out third parties and shipping directly to consumers. The company has been expanding its physical retail presence after testing stores in nine U.S. cities in 2013; retail now employs half the company. Warby Parker said it will expand its store footprint from 12 to 20 locations by year’s end and invest in technology to enable eye exams on mobile phones. The company raised $100 million in the latest financing, bringing total funding to $215.5 million, and more than doubled its valuation to $1.2 billion. Co‑founder and co‑CEO Dave Gilboa said the company has grown to nearly 500 employees and will use the round to continue scaling while focusing on product and technology innovation. Warby Parker sells boutique-quality prescription eyewear and sunglasses through its website and at physical stores and showrooms. Led by co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa, the company operates an online-first retail model complemented by brick-and-mortar locations. It partners with non-profits to ensure that for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is distributed to someone in need. The company announced a $60M funding raise, indicating a significant capital infusion to support growth. Warby Parker is actively hiring, suggesting plans to scale operations and retail presence. The business is based in New York City.

Total raised

$672M

Funding rounds

6

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2025