All M&A articles – Page 2
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News briefs
EssilorLuxottica reinforces AI and medtech expertise with new acquisition
EssilorLuxottica announced its seventh M&A operation this year with the acquisition of Ikerian, a Swiss-based medtech startup founded in 1990 and operating under the RetinAI brand that will further reinforce the group’s medtech offering. RetinAI’s area of expertise is artificial intelligence (AI) and data management in eye care. It develops ...
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News briefs
Design Eyewear Group acquires six brands from French company KNCO
Design Eyewear Group has acquired six brands from French eyewear company KNCO, marking its entry into children’s eyewear and doubling its portfolio to 20 brands in recent months.
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ArticleZEISS Vision Care invests in Fielmann-owned teleophthalmology platform
ZEISS Vision Care is taking a 10 percent stake in Ocumeda, the tele-ophthalmology platform owned by Fielmann Group, with plans to acquire up to a 25 percent stake, the company has announced. The transaction values Ocumeda at €100 million. Founded in 2019 and led by a team of ophthalmologists, Ocumeda ...
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ArticleIXI ramps up autofocus glasses supply chain
IXI, the Finnish-based start-up developing autofocus glasses, has announced two major initiatives meant to accelerate its development and prepare for the commercial launch of its product. As previously reported, the company raised $36 million from private equity firms and Amazon Alexa Fund among others earlier this year. ...
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ArticleTopcon Healthcare steps into mental health diagnosis with new investment
Topcon Healthcare is making a strategic investment in Senseye, a US-based start-up “developing the first mental health diagnostic platform powered by ocular biomarkers,” according to the official statement. “Topcon Healthcare’s investment is more than capital, it is validation from a global leader in digital health technology that the eye holds ...
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News briefs
US online vision acuity tests supplier takes over European peer
Visibly, a Chicago-based healthcare technology company specializing in online visual acuity tests, has announced the acquisition of Easee, an Amsterdam-based supplier of similar services. Visibly, which says it has developed the first FDA-approved online visual acuity exam, stressed that the acquisition will enable it to expand its business with healthcare ...
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ArticleVSP Vision acquires Marcolin
VSP Vision, parent company of Marchon Eyewear, is acquiring Marcolin from PAI Partners and minority shareholders, the US vision care group announced in a statement last Friday. “The addition of Marcolin is another example of our commitment to purposeful growth that will provide greater value for VSP members, ...
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ArticleZoff owner doubles doorcount to 620 with M&A deal
Intermestic, the Japanese group behind the Zoff optical retail chain, has announced the full acquisition of Visionary Holdings, the operator of Megane Super, another retail chain with 300 stores in the country. Intermestic is reportedly investing 19.1 billion Japanese yen (€110m) in the operation, which is expected to complete on ...
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News briefs
Staar Surgical’s main shareholder to vote against sale to Alcon
The acquisition of Staar Surgical, a California-based refractive surgery company that specializes in Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs), by Alcon is facing some headwinds. A few weeks after the official announcement, it has emerged that Broadwood Partners, the largest stakeholder in Staar Surgical with a 27.3 percent share, is opposing the ...
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News briefs
Zyloware acquires Kenmark Eyewear
Zyloware, which describes itself as “the longest-running family-owned and operated eyewear company in the United States,” has announced the acquisition of Kenmark Eyewear. Founded in 1972 and based in Kentucky, Kenmark Eyewear was operating as an employee-owned business. The company’s large portfolio includes a mix of licensed brands (Vera Wang, ...
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News briefs
Japanese midsized optical retail group changes hands
Kitamura Holdings, the Japanese group operating the Kitamura Camera retail chain, is branching out into eyewear retailing with the full acquisition of E2 Care Holdings. The optical retail group boasts a network of 200 optical and hearing aids stores with three chains: Vision Megane (101 stores, mostly in the Kansai ...
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Authentic Brands Group acquires Guess? IP
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) has announced the acquisition of a controlling ownership interest in “substantially all of the intellectual property of Guess?.” Practically, the US group is acquiring a 51 percent stake in a new entity that will take over Guess? intellectual property, with the remaining 49 percent owned by ...
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Alcon to acquire ICL eyewear surgery specialist for $1.5bn
Alcon has announced the acquisition of STAAR Surgical, a California-based refractive surgery company that specializes in Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICLs), a light surgery technology aimed at patients with moderate to high myopia, with or witout astigmatism. The group will purchase all outstanding shares of STAAR at a 51 percent premium ...
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ArticleEssilux acquires lens inspection expert A&R
EssilorLuxottica has announced the acquisition of Automation & Robotics (A&R), the Belgium-based supplier of equipment and software for ophthalmic lens laboratories. The group said that the acquisition would bring deep expertise across the value chain, including R&D, software development, manufacturing, distribution and deployment. “Sharing a commitment to innovation, ...
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News briefs
Inspecs announces H1 sales decline, puts lens unit up for sale
Communicating a trading update ahead of its full half-year results announcement in September, Inspecs Group said that its sales were down by 2.9 percent year on year to £100.0 million (€116m) in H1 2025. At constant exchange rates, the decline was limited to 1.3 percent. In terms of profitability, adjusted ...
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News briefsTopcon acquires retinal-scanning company
Topcon Healthcare has acquired Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS), producer of a system that scans the retina for pathology, and for signs of diabetes in particular. The system is compatible with electronic medical record (EMR) integration and with many cameras. It also uses AI to help in diagnosis. IRIS was ...
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ArticleLenskart files for IPO, acquires a Spanish DTC sunglass brand
Lenskart’s long-rumored initial public offering (IPO) is one big step closer to becoming a reality as the Indian-based optical retailer group has just filed its so-called draft red herring prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The 761-page document is now available on the group’s corporate website. ...
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ArticleEssilux acquires producer of lens monomers
EssilorLuxottica has agreed to acquire all of the “assets and entities involved in the development, manufacturing and sale of monomers used in the production of high index ophthalmic lenses” of SK PUcore, of South Korea. Among these assets is an R&D unit, a factory, a sales office in Korea and ...
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US private equity fund acquires Uvex Group
Warburg Pincus, a US-based global private equity fund, is taking a majority stake in Uvex Group, the German-based company specializing in protective safety and sports equipment. The Winter and Grau families owning Uvex Group until now will retain a significant minority stake in the business, Warburg Pincus announced. The investment ...
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News briefs
Swiss-Benelux merger in the contact lens e-commerce market
Two European contact lens e-commerce companies, Vision Group and LensOnline, are merging into Vision Group Holdings (VGH), a new entity that will “create a unified platform serving millions across multiple European markets,” they have announced. While both companies operate contact lens online shops, their profiles differ in the sense that ...
