Meta invested €3 billion in EssilorLuxottica Zuckerberg focuses on smartglasses
While Apple Vision Pro, the augmented reality headset released by the Cupertino company last year, seems to have disappeared from the commercial radar, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are increasingly winning over both consumers and producers. Confirmation of the success of the AI-enhanced sunglasses and eyeglasses — stars of advertising and marketing strategies that included well-known figures like Kris Jenner and Chris Hemsworth — comes with the news that Meta Platforms Inc. has acquired a minority stake in EssilorLuxottica, the Franco-Italian owner of Ray-Ban. With this €3 billion move, Zuckerberg's American company finds itself more involved in the smartglasses industry of the Franco-Italian brand. Meta’s stake amounts to just under 3% of EssilorLuxottica, but according to BoF, the company is considering a possible increase in investment over time, potentially aiming to hold around 5%.
Shot on Meta Rayban. Incredible considering these are from just a pair of glasses! pic.twitter.com/FfryKCCEBg
— OG (@gow88_) June 24, 2025
Thanks to the acquisition, EssilorLuxottica’s U.S. shares rose by 6.9%. Now the two companies find themselves involved in a closer collaboration, following the success of AI-enhanced glasses also created with brands such as Coperni. The original Meta x Ray-Ban were launched in 2021 as AI-powered sunglasses with an integrated camera. In June, together with EssilorLuxottica, Meta produced another pair of smartglasses, this time branded only Oakley – another brand of the Franco-Italian conglomerate. Meta has shown interest in acquiring a stake in the company for about a year now, a strategy that began this week and now confirms Zuckerberg's brand's commitment and high hopes toward artificial intelligence.
Madonna uses the new Ray Ban Meta AI glasses on a new post so we see her POV ! pic.twitter.com/64XYBL0Ubg
— Madonna Ultimate (@MadonnaUltimate) July 7, 2025
While social media platforms like TikTok and X compete with Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat (which, as distribution channels, rely on phones produced by other brands), in the field of smartglasses, Meta currently seems a step ahead of its competitors. The sector is becoming increasingly relevant for the company, which can finally claim to own a product — almost — entirely of its own. Meanwhile, EssilorLuxottica, which in April announced a surprising 7.3% quarterly revenue growth, can now take advantage of Meta’s investment to further enter the tech world. But will the Meta x Ray-Bans ever become a mass-market product? As always, the answer lies with the consumers.
