Meta Eyes Multi-Billion Dollar Stake in EssilorLuxottica Amid High-Stakes Tech Rivalry

Meta is on the brink of a significant investment, planning to spend billions to acquire approximately 5% of EssilorLuxottica, the €88 billion European eyewear conglomerate. This move follows their collaboration on two generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses, a partnership that has brought Meta’s tech innovations into the fashion eyewear space. Sources, including the Financial Times, have reported on these advanced negotiations, which are likely to culminate in Meta’s substantial investment.

The Verge says, this potential stake acquisition highlights the intensifying competition among tech giants to integrate their technologies into everyday consumer products. Meta’s push to deepen its relationship with EssilorLuxottica comes in the wake of Google’s recent attempts to infiltrate the eyewear market. Google has approached EssilorLuxottica’s leadership, proposing the integration of its Gemini AI assistant into future smart glasses, according to several insiders.

The prospect of Google edging Meta out of this high-profile collaboration appears to be a driving force behind Zuckerberg’s decision to invest heavily. This strategic move not only secures Meta’s foothold in the evolving smart eyewear market but also potentially preempts Google’s ambitions in the same space.

However, the dynamics at play are complex. EssilorLuxottica, rooted firmly in the European fashion and retail sector, operates under different market pressures compared to its Silicon Valley counterparts. The company has been navigating challenges such as global inflation and rising costs, which have squeezed its profit margins. Over the past year, EssilorLuxottica’s stock has increased by only about 7%, lagging behind the broader growth of European blue-chip stocks.

Meta’s significant investment could provide a much-needed boost for EssilorLuxottica, offering capital that might help alleviate some of these financial pressures. For Meta, the stake not only reinforces its commitment to the smart eyewear sector but also represents a strategic maneuver to outpace rivals like Google in the race to dominate this innovative intersection of technology and fashion.

As the tech giants vie for supremacy in integrating their advanced technologies into consumer wearables, the outcome of Meta’s investment in EssilorLuxottica could set a precedent for future collaborations and investments in the industry.

Source: The Verge