Google says it will commit up to $150 million to the consumer eyewear company Warby Parker to jointly develop AI-powered smart glasses based on Android XR, the companies said on Tuesday during Google I/O 2025.
Google has already committed $75 million to Warby Parker’s product development and commercialization costs, the companies said in a press release. Google says it will invest an additional $75 million, taking an equity stake in Warby Parker, should the eyewear manufacturer meet certain milestones.
At Google I/O 2025, Google also announced partnerships with several companies to develop smart glasses with Gemini AI and AR capabilities, including Samsung and Gentle Monster.
Google seems to be taking a page out of Meta’s smart glasses strategy. Meta has found success partnering and investing in the Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica to develop its smart glasses. Part of the reason behind Ray-Ban Meta’s success is that the smart glasses have an attractive, familiar design and they’re being sold in Ray-Ban stores. It seems likely that Google will have a similar relationship with Warby Parker, taking advantage of the eyewear company’s popular frame designs and perhaps its retail stores.
In the press release, Warby Parker and Google said they intend to launch a series of products over time. Their first line of eyewear will launch “after 2025” and will incorporate multimodal AI with prescription and non-prescription glasses.
Maxwell Zeff is a senior reporter at TechCrunch specializing in AI and emerging technologies. Previously with Gizmodo, Bloomberg, and MSNBC, Zeff has covered the rise of AI and the Silicon Valley Bank crisis. He is based in San Francisco. When not reporting, he can be found hiking, biking, and exploring the Bay Area’s food scene.
