Meta acquires smart eyewear startup Luxexcel

(Representative image)

Meta has acquired Luxexcel - a smart eyewear company in Netherlands. The tech company confirmed the acquisition to TechCrunch and said, "the Luxexcel team has joined Meta, deepening the existing partnership between the two companies."

The two companies have been rumored on working together on Meta's Project Aria, which is a prototype device, "worn like regular glasses," that Meta will use to build software and hardware for future Augmented Reality (AR) devices.

Luxexcel made a name for itself with 3D-printed prescription glasses but recently has diversified its efforts in making lenses for smart glasses, that can be printed with integrated technology like LCD displays and holographic film.

This isn't the first time Meta has tried to break into the AR smart wear market. In 2021, it collaborated with Essilor Luxottica to launch Ray Ban branded smart eyeglasses called Ray Ban Stories. The glasses allowed users to listen to music, take photos, calls and short videos to share on Facebook using a companion app.

With Luxexcel now in the fold, Meta will leverage its experience in building prescription glasses for AR eye wear.

Recently, Meta agreed to delay its acquisition of Within Unlimited, the makers of the popular fitness app Supernatural, after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filled a lawsuit against Meta to stop the acquisition. The FTC called Meta a "global technology behemoth" and said the acquisition would harm competition in the VR fitness market.