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Warby Parker operates as an American eyewear brand and retailer, specializing in the design and sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. The company utilizes a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer model, managing everything from design to distribution. This approach allows them to offer optical products and comprehensive eye exams through both their e-commerce platform, which includes virtual try-on technology, and an expanding network of physical retail stores.
The company was founded in February 2010 by Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa, and Jeffrey Raider, while they were MBA students at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Their foundational insight stemmed from observing the high cost and inconvenience prevalent in the traditional eyewear industry. They aimed to disrupt this market by offering stylish, high-quality eyewear directly to consumers at a more accessible price point.
Warby Parker serves a broad base of consumers seeking convenient and aesthetically pleasing vision solutions. The company's vision centers on making eye care and eyewear more accessible and enjoyable. They continue to expand their product offerings and physical footprint, aspiring to integrate technology and design to streamline the customer experience and remain a prominent choice in the optical market.
Warby Parker has raised $825.5M across 9 funding rounds.
Key people at Warby Parker.
Warby Parker was founded in 2010 by Neil Blumenthal (Co-founder and Co-CEO) and Dave Gilboa (Co-Founder and Co-CEO) and Andrew Hunt (Founder and Director).
Warby Parker has raised $825.5M in total across 9 funding rounds.
Warby Parker was founded in 2010 by Neil Blumenthal (Co-founder and Co-CEO) and Dave Gilboa (Co-Founder and Co-CEO) and Andrew Hunt (Founder and Director).
Warby Parker has raised $825.5M in total across 9 funding rounds.
Warby Parker's investors include Shahram Izadi, D1 Capital Partners, Durable Capital Partners, T. Rowe Price Associates, Henry Ellenbogen, General Catalyst, Tiger Global, Wellington Management, Addition, Bain Capital Ventures, BoxGroup, Founders Fund.
Warby Parker is not primarily a technology company but a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand that leverages technology to disrupt the traditional eyeglass industry. It builds affordable, designer-quality prescription glasses, sunglasses, contacts, and vision services, starting at $95 per pair, serving style-conscious consumers frustrated by high prices from legacy retailers.[1][2][4] The company solves the problem of overpriced eyewear—often marked up 1,000% through wholesale channels—by designing in-house, selling online and via 237+ stores across the U.S. and Canada, and offering innovations like home try-on kits and virtual vision tests.[1][6][7] Its "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program has distributed over 15 million pairs to those in need globally, blending profitability with social impact as a certified B Corporation.[1][3][6]
Growth has been strong since its 2010 launch: it hit first-year sales goals in three weeks, surpassed $100 million in revenue early on, went public via direct listing in 2021, and continues expanding retail while pioneering accessible eye care.[2][6][7]
Warby Parker was founded in 2010 by Wharton classmates Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Andrew Hunt, and Jeffrey Raider, who identified a core frustration: high-quality, fashionable eyeglasses cost hundreds due to monopolistic supply chains dominated by Luxottica.[2][4] The idea emerged from personal experiences—Blumenthal, who worked at VisionSpring (a nonprofit providing glasses in developing countries), paired it with a for-profit model to scale impact while slashing prices.[2][5][8] They bootstrapped with a business plan contest win, launched online-only with a revolutionary home try-on program (five frames shipped free for five days), and achieved immediate traction by exceeding sales targets in weeks.[2][7]
Pivotal moments include rapid retail expansion from zero to over 200 stores by 2022, the 2021 direct listing, and scaling "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" to 15 million pairs across 75+ countries via partners like VisionSpring.[6][7]
Warby Parker's edge lies in its vertically integrated, tech-enabled model that prioritizes affordability, accessibility, and purpose:
Warby Parker rides the direct-to-consumer (DTC) and e-commerce disruption wave, proving tech can democratize physical goods like eyewear in a $140B+ market long controlled by conglomerates.[2][4] Timing was ideal post-2010, amid rising online shopping and millennial demand for affordable, ethical brands—its online-first model slashed costs while home try-on addressed fit hesitations.[2][7] Favorable forces include smartphone-enabled virtual tools, supply chain transparency expectations, and B Corp trends, amplifying its influence on "profit with purpose" models.[3][6][8] It shapes the ecosystem by inspiring DTC peers (e.g., in apparel, beauty) and advocating vision access for 1B+ people globally lacking glasses, via its foundation launched in 2019.[5][6]
Warby Parker will likely deepen omnichannel expansion (more stores, telehealth eye care) and tech like AI-driven personalization, while scaling impact to 20M+ donated pairs amid growing ESG investor interest.[1][6] Trends like aging populations, remote work boosting vision needs, and DTC maturation favor it, potentially evolving from disruptor to category leader if it sustains 10-20% annual growth post-IPO. This reinforces its founding proof: businesses can scale profitably while doing good, without premium pricing—redefining eyewear for a vision-equipped world.[1][9]
Key people at Warby Parker.
Warby Parker has raised $825.5M across 9 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $150.0M Other Equity in May 2025.
