Meta acquires Luxexcel, a smart eyewear company - TechCrunch

As Meta faces antitrust scrutiny implicit its acquisition of VR fittingness developers Within, the tech elephantine is making different acquisition. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it is purchasing Luxexcel, a astute eyewear institution headquartered successful the Netherlands. The presumption of the deal, which was archetypal reported successful the Belgian insubstantial De Tijd, person not been disclosed.

Founded successful 2009, Luxexcel uses 3D printing to marque medicine lenses for glasses. More recently, the institution has focused its efforts connected astute lenses, which tin beryllium printed with integrated exertion similar LCD displays and holographic film.

“We’re excited that the Luxexcel squad has joined Meta, deepening the existing concern betwixt the 2 companies,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch. It’s rumored that Meta and Luxexcel had already worked unneurotic connected Project Aria, the company’s augmented world (AR) probe initiative.

In September 2021, Meta unveiled the Ray-Ban Stories, a brace of astute glasses that tin instrumentality photos and videos, oregon marque handsfree, voice-controlled calls utilizing Meta platforms similar WhatsApp and Facebook. By absorbing Luxexcel, Meta volition apt leverage the company’s exertion to nutrient medicine AR glasses, a merchandise that has agelong been anticipated to travel retired of Meta’s billions of dollars of concern into its Reality Labs. However, report this summer stated that Meta was scaling backmost its plans for consumer-grade AR glasses, which were initially slated for 2024. Meta did not remark connected these rumors astatine the time.

When gathering its AR and VR products, Meta’s firm strategy has been to get smaller companies that are gathering apical exertion successful the field. Even Meta’s flagship headset, the Quest, comes from its acquisition of Oculus successful 2014. Given the FTC’s attempts to artifact Meta’s acquisition of Within, it’s imaginable that the acquisition of Luxexcel could spark the aforesaid scrutiny.