Meta’s acquisition march continues as the tech giant quietly confirms it’s now acquired Belgian-Dutch company Luxexcel.
Founded in 2009, Luxexcel is best known for 3D printing prescription lenses. Initially reported by Belgian newspaper De Tijd, a Meta spokesperson confirmed the news to UploadVR, releasing a short prepared statement: “We’re excited that the Luxexcel team has joined Meta, deepening the existing partnership between the two companies.”
The acquisition cost wasn’t disclosed, though De Tij advises “Meta would have paid a hefty price.”
It follows last month’s report that over 50% of Reality Labs’ budget is being spent on the research and development of AR glasses. Alongside Ray-Ban Stories and a second-generation model, Meta also announced Project Nazare at last year’s Connect conference. While the consumer release was reportedly pushed back, Meta isn’t abandoning its AR ambitions. In a company meeting last month, Zuckerberg told employees that smart glasses products will emerge “over the next few years,” and Luxexcel could form a big part of this. Meta’s current VR headsets don’t include prescription correction — lenses can be purchased from third-party accessory makers — while the Stories sunglasses from EssilorLuxottica offer the option during purchase to add prescription support.
Luxexcel marks Meta’s latest move in a string of acquisitions, following October’s announcement that Camouflaj & Armature would join Oculus Studios. It’s not been entirely smooth sailing, however, as Meta’s attempted acquisition of Supernatural developer Within faces continued legal obstacles. Faced with an ongoing antitrust probe from the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC’s Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction against Meta was recently extended to January 31, 2023.
