All C-Suite Interview articles
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ArticleJulbo tops €50m in sales as new owner builds on brand heritage
After more than 135 years of history, including over four decades under the leadership of the Beaud family, Julbo was acquired by Peugeot Frères Industries, the investment arm of the Peugeot family, in 2022. We recently sat down with Damien Guillobez, CEO of Julbo, to discuss the sport eyewear company’s ...
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ArticleMade in Italy and inspired by Africa, L.G.R. looks to increase its global footprint
The Italian eyewear brand L.G.R. traces its roots back to Eritrea, where the grandfather of its founder Luca Gnecchi Ruscone lived for decades and imported photographic equipment and eyewear for the local market. Since Ruscone set up the brand in 2008, L.G.R. has gained a name among celebrities and royalty ...
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ArticleAI startup takes aim at eyewear e-tail shortcomings
Eyvero.AI, a Balkans-based IT startup, is launching several AI-powered tools, covering areas such as virtual try-on, or rather “anatomic immersion” as the company puts it, progressive lens fitting analysis, and the creation of digital frame images and marketing materials. Eyvero.AI was founded by Artem Yukhnovskiy and Vladimir Meniailenko, two ...
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ArticleVeneVision looks to launch new eyewear brands, scouting for opportunities
VeneVision is looking to increase the weight of its own brands in its sales mix as it moves to further expand its offering across the supply chain, Nicola Belli, CEO of the Italian eyewear manufacturer, told Eyewear Intelligence in a recent interview. In-house brands are considered VeneVision’s “strategic asset for ...
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ArticleRudy Project ready for strong US push
Rudy Project has acquired 100 percent of Rudy Project North America in a move to accelerate its international expansion through direct control of its strategic markets, the company has announced. Founded in 1998 by Brad Shapiro and other eyewear and sport industry entrepreneurs, the California-based distribution company has been working ...
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ArticleVision Group CEO sees ‘a lot of white space’ to expand store fleet
Vision Group has made expansion through acquisitions a key part of its growth strategy, and there’s no sign that will change anytime soon. Marco Procacciante, the CEO and founder of the eyewear retailer that boasts Italy’s largest network of optical stores Eyewear Intelligence that he sees “a lot of white ...
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ArticleIOT aims for last-mile manufacturing with new, sustainable lens tech
If you have never heard about frontal photopolymerization, you are not alone. We too never had. However, if the promise made by Indizen Optical Technologies (IOT) with its new Light-Form Technology is fulfilled – no less than “a true paradigm shift in prescription lens manufacturing” – the industry may soon ...
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ArticleKenyan retail startup aims for scale and impact in East Africa
Backed by Japanese and Indian investors and by a French optical retail veteran, Kenyan optical retail startup Mamy Eyewear plans to grow from five stores in Nairobi to over 100 locations in East Africa within five years, leveraging AI-powered eye exams and affordable pricing to address the region’s critical shortage of eye care services.
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ArticlePassion and clear positioning fuel Brett Eyewear
After two decades developing eyewear collections for third-party brands, first at LOGO and since 2013 at Special’Eyes, the private label eyewear company he founded, Jean-François Boiteux felt the itch: “I wanted to create an eyewear brand truly in line with my passion for vintage motor vehicles, particularly sports cars and ...
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ArticleMICROOLED smart eyewear business taken over by former CEO and founder
MICROOLED’s former CEO has taken over the company’s smart eyewear brands ActiveLook and Engo to focus exclusively on AR sports glasses, while the French microdisplay manufacturer refocuses on B2B markets including defense and medical equipment and raises more funds.
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Article“It seems the industry is ripe for change,” Flō Optics CEO
Things went relatively fast for Flō Optics. Only 15 months after the Israeli-based startup first showcased its optical coatings 3D printing technology at Vision Expo West in November 2023, it announced a $35 million Series A funding round, including from several eyewear industry players. However, when we sat down with ...
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ArticleBrand building, distribution and portfolio expansion keep Izipizi in the fast lane
Double-digit revenue growth is a common feature of many startups in their very early years, but, as businesses scale up, the fast pace naturally becomes harder to sustain. However, some achieve to keep the double-digit momentum going well into their teenage years. IZIPIZI, the French-based company “doing everyday glasses that ...
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ArticleAerial Vision invests in 'plug-and-play' eyewear e-commerce startup
GoHub, an Israeli-based tech startup aiming to open the online optical market to more retail players, is joining forces with AVI. The tech-and-logistics partnership is boosting GoHub’s offering and reach.
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ArticleAmazon-backed autofocus glasses startup raises $36m, aims for distribution in the ECP channel
The raised capital will enable IXI to continue its product development and to kickoff its commercial operations. The strategy is to distribute primarily through the optical retail channel. The company is looking to disrupt the market with its technology aimed at replacing progressive lenses.
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ArticlePPG Optical grows with legacy products and innovations, looks for more sustainable processes
Amy Mercante, General Manager Specialty Products, discusses the performance of the group’s optical division and other industry topics including smart eyewear, additive manufacturing and sustainability challenges in the lens supply chain.
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ArticleAiming for critical mass, Groupe Héron plans to almost double sales by 2030
Groupe Héron, the French-based retail group operating in the optical and audition markets, is aiming to almost double its business by 2030 to achieve critical mass, Bernhard Nuesser, Group CEO and Partner, has told us in an interview. Based on an organic compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8 percent ...
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ArticleVisottica forges close-knit relations with customers and expands into new industries
Rinaldo Montalban, Chairman, discusses the consolidation of the group’s production activities in Italy, its plans for a new factory in Thailand, its sustainability initiatives and the increasing personalization of eyewear components, among other topics.
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ArticleSeaport-ODLM banks on portfolio diversification to boost export business
On the heels of a new European distribution partnership with Bollé Brands, French-based Seaport-ODLM is adding several brands to its portfolio in 2025 to address new market segments and grow outside its domestic market.
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ArticleKits CEO: 'We are building an eyewear business for the customer of tomorrow'
On its Investor Day last September, Kits Eyecare concluded its presentation with a bold and somewhat cryptic claim: “Setting our sights on 500 in 5.” This made for an obvious first question when we had to opportunity to sit down with Roger Hardy, co-founder and CEO of the Canadian-based pure ...
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ArticleBliz Eyewear launches rebranding after EssilorLuxottica takeover
A specialist in sports eyewear, ski goggles and helmets, the Swedish brand Bliz Eyewear was acquired by the EssilorLuxottica Group in January 2024, joining the company’s sports portfolio and adding a new entry-level price point. This portfolio also includes the sports eyewear brands Oakley and Costa. But Bliz has actually ...
