The 'first in the world' autofocus glasses may signal the demise of reading glasses.
While Mark Zuckerberg promoted Meta’s latest Ray-Ban smart glasses and Apple showcased its Vision Pro mixed reality headset in 2023, the Finnish startup IXI was quietly developing innovative eyewear for more practical applications.
Founded in 2021, the company emerged from stealth mode in April with $36 million in funding to bring to market what it claims are the world’s first autofocus glasses. These prescription glasses aim to transform how visually-impaired individuals perceive their surroundings.
“None of the tech giants are addressing vision impairment,” said Niko Eiden, IXI’s co-founder and CEO, in an interview with TNW. “They see smart eyewear as a new platform for AI assistants or for capturing content for social media, rather than addressing the underlying vision issues.”
Eiden speaks from a wealth of experience, having spent 14 years at Nokia developing imaging and augmented reality technologies that contributed to Microsoft’s HoloLens headset. He also co-founded Varjo, a leader in Europe’s mixed reality sector.
IXI’s autofocus glasses maintain a design comparable to standard frames. However, they lack advanced cameras, AI, or VR capabilities. Instead, they utilize a low-power sensor that monitors eye movements. By emitting light pulses and analyzing the reflected light off the eye, the sensor can determine if you are focused on something near, far, or in between.
This information is then relayed to the lenses via electrical signals, which consist of a thin layer of liquid crystal sandwiched between two plastic layers. When an electric field is applied, the liquid crystals slightly alter their structure, changing how they bend light. This enables the lenses to autofocus on objects with a response time of about 0.2 seconds.
“We’re aiming to initiate a similar leap in technology as we saw in cameras—moving from fixed focus to manual focus to autofocus,” Eiden shared.
Eiden now seeks to tackle another significant tech challenge with IXI.
Transitioning from static to dynamic, IXI’s autofocus glasses are designed to replace bifocal and progressive lenses, which correct vision for various distances, such as reading and driving, all within one lens. However, these lenses have limited areas of use, with distortion at the edges and a narrow reading section, which can complicate tasks like navigating stairs.
With its autofocus technology, IXI asserts it can provide a full field of vision across the entire lens. Additionally, the low-power electronics can fit comfortably within standard glasses frames.
However, it remains in the early stages of development. IXI is still focused on research and development and has not set a release date for its inaugural product. The company faces technical challenges involving clarity, haziness, and prolonged wearability to ensure the product matches or exceeds the optical quality of conventional plastic glasses. It must also comply with rigorous medical standards for prescription eyewear.
Nonetheless, Eiden is optimistic about the technology bridging the divide between smart glasses from major tech firms and traditional eyewear, which he contends invests more in branding and design than optical quality. If IXI can disrupt this market, significant growth could follow.
The global eyewear market reached $200 billion in 2024, expanding at an annual rate of 8-9%, with no signs of slowing. This trend is partly due to declining human eyesight, a problem linked to increased screen time, poor lighting, and sedentary lifestyles.
It may not be surprising that IXI faces competition in this space; French startup Laclarée and Japan’s Elcyo are both developing autofocus glasses, though they have yet to launch products as well.
Equipped with new funding, IXI plans to accelerate its R&D, expand its team of 50, and move into a new headquarters featuring a specialized lab and clean room environments. The company aims to hold its first live demonstrations of the glasses later this year.
“From static lenses to dynamic lenses… it’s a natural evolution,” Eiden remarked. “Whether it’s us or another company, someone will succeed in this endeavor.”
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