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

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

While Ray-Ban Meta has become the world’s most popular connected eyewear, the company truly responsible for its creation remains largely unknown to the public. Behind Meta-branded smart frames sits EssilorLuxottica, a Franco-Italian heavyweight in the global optics industry.

EssilorLuxottica, the Franco-Italian optics powerhouse

The group was formed in 2018 through the strategic merger of France’s Essilor, the long-established corrective-lens specialist, and Italy’s Luxottica, known for landmark brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol and Oliver Peoples. Although its operational roots remain strongly based in Italy, its official headquarters are in Charenton-le-Pont, in the Val-de-Marne department near Paris.

It controls a vast share of the global eyewear market and its value chain, spanning high-precision lenses and mass-market frames. This expertise has made it an essential player in optics’ technological transformation.

The partnership that brought smart glasses to the mainstream

In 2019, EssilorLuxottica joined forces with Meta, which was still known as Facebook at the time. The partnership produced Ray-Ban Stories in 2021. However, the relationship took on an entirely new dimension in 2023 with the launch of Ray-Ban Meta.

Driven by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), this product has genuinely brought connected glasses into the mainstream. The two groups have since formally extended their alliance until the mid-2030s. New models are also unveiled regularly, including the Oakley Meta Vanguard.

Meta provides the technological expertise, covering AI, chips, sensors, cameras and microphones, while EssilorLuxottica handles almost everything else. The company develops the industrial design and fits Meta’s electronics into the arms and hinges without making the frame heavier. It also manufactures the lenses and manages worldwide distribution through its extensive network of shops and partner opticians.

A record quarter

This complementary arrangement is delivering results. During the second quarter of 2026, the company’s connected-glasses sales almost doubled, underlining strong consumer demand. That performance pushed its financial results above analysts’ expectations.

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