Source: Tech in Asia
AjnaLens, based in Mumbai, is a deeptech startup that provides AI-based smart glasses. Lenskart has made a strategic investment in AjnaLens and will combine Lenskart’s design and engineering expertise with AjnaLens’ technology expertise.
Lenskart did not disclose the monetary value of the investment but stated that the partnership will enable both companies to build smart glasses that have the appearance, feel and finesse of contemporary glasses with advanced functionality.
Pankaj Raut, Abhijit Patil, and Abhishek Tomar founded AjnaLens in 2014, starting up the company and constructing both the hardware and software for Extended Reality (XR). The Startup has products and solutions into defence, education, and enterprise and is building tools to create an immersive learning and training experience for users in virtual and augmented reality.
Lenskart views this investment as a move toward building smarter eyewear. In December 2024, the company launched Phonic, its first smart glasses, with audio features. Now, with this partnership, Lenskart plans to take it a step further by adding AI and other smart features to glasses.
“We have been leveraging technology to create distinctive and meaningful eyewear experiences for our customers. This investment marks the next chapter in our smart glass journey, which began with the launch of Phonic, our audio glasses, in December 2024. As the smart glasses category scales rapidly, our partnership with AjnaLens strategically positions us to accelerate product innovation in this space,” said Lenskart cofounder Peyush Bansal.
With smart glasses on the rise, Lenskart is looking to get ahead of the game by creating new experiences for users. The smart glasses developed with AjnaLens could have features such as:
- Voice and gesture control
- AR displays for navigation or notifications
- Health tracking
Custom vision support
This is not Lenskart’s first venture into technology. It acquired TangoEye likewise, a startup that uses AI to do video analytics to enhance retail. Now, with AjnaLens, Lenskart is hoping to tech-up everyday eyewear.
Lenskart is one of India’s biggest eyewear brands and currently operates more than 2,000 stores in 14 countries. The company is preparing for its public listing (IPO) and wants to demonstrate that it can lead in both scale and innovation.
Lenskart’s announcement of this new partnership with AjnaLens suggests that it is serious about the future of eyewear. It plans to make glasses that allow people to do much more than just see- intelligent, stylish and useful in everyday life.
