Ray-Ban Meta: the Franco-Italian giant EssilorLuxottica behind smart glasses

Ray-Ban Meta are flying off the shelves, but do you know the company discreetly manufacturing these smart glasses? Meet EssilorLuxottica, the Franco-Italian optical giant.

Although Ray-Ban Meta have become the world’s most popular smart glasses, their real designer remains largely unknown to the wider public. Behind these Meta-branded intelligent frames sits EssilorLuxottica, the Franco-Italian global powerhouse of optics.

Formed in 2018 through the strategic merger of France’s Essilor, the long-established specialist in prescription lenses, and Italy’s Luxottica, renowned for flagship brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol and Oliver Peoples, the group retains deep operational roots in Italy. Its registered headquarters, however, is in Charenton-le-Pont, in the Val-de-Marne department.

It controls a vast share of the global eyewear market and its value chain, from high-precision lenses to mass-market frames. That expertise has made it an essential player in the technological shift taking place across the optical industry.

The partnership that brought smart glasses to the mainstream

In 2019, EssilorLuxottica teamed up with Meta, then still called Facebook. The partnership led to the launch of Ray-Ban Stories in 2021. However, the collaboration between the two giants took a very different turn in 2023 with the arrival of Ray-Ban Meta.

Boosted by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), this product truly brought smart glasses into the mainstream. So much so that the two groups formally extended their alliance until the mid-2030s. New models are also unveiled regularly, including the Oakley Meta Vanguard.

While Meta supplies the technological expertise, covering AI, chips, sensors, cameras and microphones, EssilorLuxottica handles virtually everything else. The company develops the industrial design and builds Meta’s electronics into the arms and hinges without making the frame heavier. It also produces the lenses and manages global distribution through its extensive network of shops and partner opticians.

A record quarter for EssilorLuxottica

This complementary arrangement is delivering results. During the second quarter of 2026, the company’s smart-glasses sales nearly doubled, confirming strong consumer enthusiasm. This pushed its financial performance beyond analysts’ expectations.

The group therefore reported revenue of €7.69 billion for the April-to-June period, alongside adjusted operating profit rising to €1.9 billion and a record operating margin of 18.6%. As a result, its share price on the Paris stock exchange rose by 4.5%.