Meta has acquired Luxexcel, establishing a foothold in the 3D Printing sector

Meta, the parent company behind Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, announced the acquisition of Belgian-Dutch Luxexcel, a company that specializes in 3D printed lenses. The business had raised several million euros to bring its ophthalmic lenses, which they produce using additive manufacturing, to market. Although the acquisition was done discreetly, it is an important strategic move for the market and a further indication that companies are becoming more interested in 3D technology. Meta thus gains a foothold in 3D printing and aims to expand its smart glasses offer through this acquisition.

Many consolidations took place in 2022, including mergers or partnerships between 3D printing companies. But that’s not all. Indeed, we have seen companies from outside the market buy out leaders in the field – we can point for example to Nikon’s acquisition of SLM Solutions. This trend was confirmed by Meta’s announcement last week. But why is the tech giant so keen to manufacture 3D printed lenses?

Luxexcel Photo Credits

A Strategic Partnership Between Luxexcel And Meta

Let’s first recall that the collaboration between Luxexcel and Meta is not new, as the two companies already worked together on the Aria Project. These glasses can capture the audio and video of the wearer and track their location in real time. It is based in augmented reality, Luxexcel’s expertise in ophthalmic lens manufacturing was put to the service of the American giant. Meta is taking another step forward by announcing the acquisition of the Belgian-Dutch company – the amount was not revealed.

Meta is thus getting the 3D printing technology developed by Luxexcel and its VisionPlatform™ system. This 3D printer uses material jetting to create custom lenses by photopolymerizing drops deposited on the plate. We believe that Meta will be able create more powerful augmented realities glasses thanks to the technology. This is a perfect fit for Mark Zuckerberg’s famous metaverse. The company has remained quiet about the acquisition, with a spokesperson speaking only to Dutch newspaper De Tijd. “We’re excited that the Luxexcel team has joined Meta, deepening the existing partnership between the two companies.”

Luxexcel and Meta already worked together on Aria Project (photo credit to Meta)

We can’t wait to discover Meta’s future projects around this 3D printing technology and see how it could influence the production of smart glasses. In the meantime, find out more about Luxexcel’s process HERE.

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*Cover Photo Credits: Luxexcel