All Corporate articles
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ArticleEssilux brings some wearables production to Italy with R&D synergies and supply chain risks in mind
EssilorLuxottica will start producing some wearables at its Agordo plant in Veneto, Italy, by early 2027, the group and a coordination of three trade unions (Filctem CGIL, Femca CISL, Uiltec UIL) announced earlier this week. While most of the production of such products, including the AI and AR glasses developed ...
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New investment reportedly values Gentle Monster’s parent company at just under €2bn
ZWC Partners, an Asian private equity investor with $2.5 billion in assets, has announced an investment in IICOMBINED, the parent company of Gentle Monster, the South Korean eyewear brand. The investment amount was not disclosed, but the deal reportedly values IICOMBINED at 3.35 trillion Korean won (€1.9bn), according to several ...
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Mitsui announces new MR production facility for 2029
Citing sustained demand growth for its MR high-index lens materials—particularly in Asia and North America—Mitsui Chemicals has announced plans to build a new production facility at its Omuta Works site in Japan. The plant is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2029. This investment follows closely on ...
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Safilo Group launches new share buyback plan
Safilo Group has announced a new share buyback program covering up to 10 million shares, equivalent to approximately 2.5 percent of the company’s outstanding share capital, for a maximum total consideration of €20 million. The program, which began on June 8, 2026, is scheduled to run until November 30, 2026. ...
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ArticleShareholders in Essilux owner Delfin reach settlement
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio and Rocco Basilico, two of the eight heirs of Luxottica founder Leonardo Dal Vecchio have reached a provisional settlement to end their legal disputes over a change in the ownership structure of Delfin, which controls EssilorLuxottica with a 32.4 percent stake, according to media reports. Essilux ...
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Dalloz Créations to close after 70 years
Dalloz Créations, the French Jura-based manufacturer of premium sun lenses, is closing as the regional commercial court terminated its reorganization plan and ordered liquidation. The insolvency date has been set for March 20, 2026. The company employed 29 people. The decision follows a sharp decline in revenue, from €3.8 million ...
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Belgian eyewear consultation software start-up raises €1.4 million
Brussels-based start-up Ditar has announced the closing of a €1.4 million seed financing round led by ScaleFund, with participation from other Belgian investors. The company said the funding will accelerate its international expansion, particularly in the US market. Ditar is best known for Optisuite, a tablet-based software used during in-store ...
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ArticleKorean startup raises $18m for alternative AR display optics
LetinAR, a South Korea-based smart eyewear startup, has raised $18.5 million in a new funding round led by Korea Development Bank, a state-owned development bank, according to reports from TechCrunch and other tech news outlets. Lotte Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of South Korea’s conglomerate Lotte Group, also participated ...
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Armani considering sale of 5% stakes to Essilux, LVMH and L’Oréal
The Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani SpA is considering selling 5 percent stakes each to EssilorLuxottica, LVMH and L’Oréal, according to a report in the Italian daily La Repubblica. That would be broadly in line with the instructions left in his will by Giorgio Armani, who died in September, to ...
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ArticleDel Vecchio heir challenges deal to sell 25% of Essilux owner Delfin
Rocco Basilico, one of the eight heirs of Luxottica founder Leonardo del Vecchio, has challenged a deal that would see Leonardo Maria del Vecchio, his half-brother and Chief Strategy Officer at EssilorLuxottica, become the largest shareholder in Delfin, the Del Vecchio holding company that controls Essilux with a 32.4 percent ...
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EssilorLuxottica inaugurates new R&D center in Thailand
EssilorLuxottica has opened a new 5,000 square-meter research-and-development center in Bangkok, Thailand. The new facility will focus on new technologies and processes in the areas of smart eyewear, myopia management lenses, and sustainable production, the group’s management told local media. The company already operates four industrial sites in Thailand, including ...
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ArticleEssilorLuxottica management confident in stock market rebound
Opening EssilorLuxottica’s annual shareholder meeting in Paris, Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri started by stressing the group’s achievements over the past year and the ongoing profound transformation of its business from vision correction to medtech: “We aim to lead in preventive medicine, transforming vision care into a gateway for healthier ...
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ArticleDel Vecchio heir and Essilux manager increases stake in controlling shareholder Delfin
Leonardo Maria del Vecchio, Chief Strategy Officer at EssilorLuxottica and one of the heirs of Luxottica founder Leonardo del Vecchio, has reached a deal that will make him the largest shareholder in Delfin, the Del Vecchio holding company that in turn controls Essilux with a 32.4 percent stake. Leonardo Maria ...
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ArticleKering Eyewear expects 'execution' and AI glasses to drive next growth phase
Kering presented yesterday ReconKering, its strategic turnaround plan, to investors during its Capital Markets Day (CMD) in Florence, Italy. “ReconKering is designed to restore clarity, rebuild execution discipline and place the Group back on a long‑term leadership trajectory,” the official release reads. Luca de Meo, who took over the CEO ...
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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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ArticleChinese smart glasses firms eye IPOs in race with big tech
Prominent Chinese smart glasses companies are increasingly turning to the stock market to fund their growth in a fast-moving, highly competitive sector. Beijing-based XREAL filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in Hong Kong earlier this month, while Rokid, based in Hangzhou, is reportedly considering the same move. According to ...
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Kering boosts liquidity with €1.1 bn Milan real estate deal
Kering has signed a real estate deal with Al-Mirqab Group, a Qatar-based construction and real estate company, for its building at Via Monte Napoleone in Milan, Italy. Kering will contribute the property to a new joint stock company owned at 80 percent by Al-Mirqab Group and at 20 percent by ...
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EssilorLuxottica invests in leading Thai optical retailer
EssilorLuxottica has acquired a “meaningful stake” in Top Charoen, the leading optical retailer in Thailand and a longtime customer. The term usually refers to a a significant minority ownership position, typically 10-25% of a company’s shares, that provides strategic influence without full control. Founded in 1947, Top Charoen ...
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ArticleTopcon Healthcare launches EMEA innovation center
Topcon Healthcare has launched the Topcon Healthcare Innovation Center EMEA (THINC EMEA) in London’s Knowledge Quarter, modeled from its first THINC facility in La Jolla, California. The new London center will serve as a collaborative platform between eye‑care specialists, healthcare professionals, academics, industry partners, and patient associations across Europe, the ...
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ArticleDel Vecchio heir looks to increase stake in controlling shareholder
Leonardo Maria del Vecchio, Chief Strategy Officer at EssilorLuxottica and one of the heirs of Luxottica founder Leonardo del Vecchio, is looking to increase his stake in Delfin, the Del Vecchio holding company that controls the eyewear group with a 32.2 percent stake, according to media reports. Delfin has not ...
