Meta Takes Stake in EssilorLuxottica, Signaling Confidence in Smart Glasses Partnership
Thursday, July 10 2025 | 08 h 55 min | News
Shares in EssilorLuxottica surged this week following reports that Meta Platforms Inc. has acquired a nearly 3% stake in the Franco-Italian eyewear group. The move is seen as a vote of confidence in the two companies’ growing collaboration in the smart glasses space.
As first reported by Reuters, Meta purchased the stake—reportedly valued at around €3 billion ($3.5 billion USD)—with the possibility of increasing its holdings to approximately 5% over time. While EssilorLuxottica declined to comment and Meta has not publicly confirmed the deal, investors reacted swiftly. EssilorLuxottica shares rose 5.4% in early Wednesday trading on the Paris exchange, making it the top gainer on the STOXX 600 index.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, already partners with EssilorLuxottica for the production of smart eyewear. As reported on Optik NOW, the two companies launched the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in 2023, which have sold in the millions. More recently, Meta announced a collaboration with Oakley—another EssilorLuxottica brand—on a new AI-enabled model, the Oakley Meta HSTN, featuring a high-resolution camera, open-ear speakers, water resistance, and hands-free Meta AI capabilities.
Industry analysts view Meta’s investment as a strategic step that reinforces its commitment to wearable technology, particularly in devices that integrate artificial intelligence. Bernstein analysts described the move as “a vote of confidence in EssilorLuxottica in the smart-glasses opportunity.”
The partnership has been evolving for some time. In 2023, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg referred to a potential investment in EssilorLuxottica as a “symbolic gesture” to strengthen their long-term collaboration. In February of this year, EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri confirmed the company’s intention to ramp up smart glasses production and expand its brand partnerships with Meta.
This development comes as the broader tech and eyewear sectors continue to explore converging paths, blending vision correction and fashion with connectivity, hands-free functionality, and AI-driven features.
Meta’s growing interest in EssilorLuxottica reflects a broader trend: tech companies are increasingly investing in legacy eyewear players to develop the next generation of wearable technology.
Source: Reuters, reporting by Elisa Anzolin and Juby Babu, July 9, 2025. Read the original article on Reuters.
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