Warby Parker
Publicly listed (NYSE: WRBY) · United States
Warby Parker is an American eyewear company founded in 2010 by four Wharton MBA students to sell prescription glasses directly to consumers at lower prices. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2021 and led by co-founders Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa as co-CEOs, it has grown from an online start-up into a large store based optical retailer. In 2025 it partnered with Google on AI powered smart glasses.
| Founded | 2010, Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| Founders | Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa, Jeffrey Raider |
| Co-CEOs | Neil Blumenthal, David Gilboa |
| Listing | NYSE: WRBY (since 2021) |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Revenue | 771 million US dollars (2024) |
| Website | warbyparker.com |
What is Warby Parker?
Warby Parker designs and sells prescription glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses and offers eye exams. It designs its frames in house and sells them directly to customers, challenging an eyewear industry the company describes as dominated by a single player.
History
The company was founded in February 2010 in Philadelphia by Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa and Jeffrey Raider, then students at Wharton. It later moved its headquarters to New York City. Warby Parker became a public company through a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange on 29 September 2021. Blumenthal and Gilboa lead the business as co-chief executives. Its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair programme distributes glasses to people in need through partner organisations.
Products and positioning
Warby Parker sits in the mid-market, offering fashion led frames at prices below traditional optical retail. Its offer includes:
- Prescription glasses and sunglasses
- Contact lenses, sold since 2019
- Eye exams and vision tests in store and online
- Intelligent eyewear developed with technology partners
Business model and distribution
Warby Parker started online, with a home try-on programme that let customers test five frames for free; this programme ended at the end of 2025. The company has since become primarily store led, with several hundred retail locations in the US and a long term goal of 900 stores. Its products are also sold in Target locations. Revenue was 771 million dollars in 2024, according to Wikipedia.
Warby Parker and technology
The company built its own point of sale system and offers virtual try-on through its app, along with online prescription tools. In May 2025 it announced a partnership with Google to develop AI powered smart glasses on the Android XR platform with the Gemini assistant, with up to 150 million dollars committed. In 2026 it was named an eyewear partner for Google and Samsung smart glasses.
Why it matters
Warby Parker is a reference case for a DTC brand that moved decisively into physical retail, and its smart glasses work positions an eyewear retailer at the centre of wearable AI.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Warby Parker?
Warby Parker is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker WRBY since 2021. It is led by co-founders Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa as co-chief executives. It is not part of a larger fashion or eyewear group.
Does Warby Parker still do home try-on?
No. Warby Parker's home try-on programme, which let customers test five frames at home for free, ended at the end of 2025. Customers can use virtual try-on in the app or visit one of its stores.