Google says it will win up to $150 million for consumer eyewear company Warby Parker to collaborate on AI-powered smart glasses based on Android XR.
Google has already committed $75 million to Warby Parker’s product development and commercialization costs, the company said in a press release. Google says it will acquire a share in Warby Parker and invest an additional $75 million if the eyewear maker meets a certain milestone.
At Google I/O 2025, Google announced partnerships with several companies and developed smart glasses with Gemini AI and AR capabilities, including Samsung and Gentle Monster.
It appears that Google is getting the page from Meta’s smart glasses strategy. Meta has partnered and invested in Ray-Ban maker Essilorluxottica to discover that it is developing smart glasses. Part of the reason behind the success of the Ray-Ban Meta is that the smart glasses have an attractive, familiar design and are available in Ray-Ban stores. Google has a similar relationship with Warby Parker, apparently using Eyewear Company’s popular frame designs and perhaps retailers.
In a press release, Warby Parker and Google said they intend to launch a series of products over time. The first line of eyewear will be released “2025 and later” and will incorporate multimodal AI with prescription and non-prescription glasses.