Warby Parker jumps an eye-popping 17% as investors cheer its AI glasses partnership with Google
Tech companies just can’t seem to envision a future without smart glasses.
Warby Parker surged 17% in afternoon trading on Tuesday after announcing a partnership with Google to develop AI-powered glasses, set to launch sometime after 2025. The tech giant will reportedly invest up to $150 million into the product.
Just how the glasses will be AI-powered still seems up in the air, though Warby CEO David Gilboa in a press release said the devices will offer “real-time context and intelligence” that will augment a wearer’s surroundings.
The move appears to be an effort by Google to grab a chunk of Meta’s relative success with its Ray-Ban smart glasses, though the wearable tech in general tends to fizzle out after a brief hype stage. In February, Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica said it had sold 2 million pairs of the smart glasses since their launch in October 2023.