> At a Glance
> – IXI Eyewear has raised $40 million from investors including Amazon
> – Prototype glasses weigh 22 grams and use liquid-crystal lenses
> – Launch planned within the next year
> – Why it matters: The lenses shift focus automatically, potentially replacing bifocals and progressives for billions of wearers
A Finnish company is betting that the next big thing in eyewear isn’t AR or AI, but lenses that change focus as fast as your eyes do. While tech giants chase smart-glass features, IXI Eyewear is targeting the everyday spectacles worn by billions.
How the Glasses Work
Tiny eye-tracking sensors hidden in the frame watch where you’re looking. A liquid-crystal layer in each lens reshapes in milliseconds, swapping between near and far focus without moving parts.
CEO Niko Eiden told CNN:
> “The center part is the sharp area, and then there is the edge where the liquid crystal stops… the center area is large enough that you can use that for reading.”
The Trade-Offs
- Center field is crisp for reading and distance
- Periphery shows some distortion where the crystal ends
- Company says the blur is “not visible most of the time”
- Price will sit “at the really high end of existing eyewear”
Competition and Hurdles
Japanese rivals Elcyo and Vixion are developing similar tech. Vixion already sells a product, though it doesn’t look like ordinary glasses.
Optometrist Meenal Agarwal lists the challenges:
- Lenses must shift “fast, accurately, and invisibly”
- Battery life must last all day in a 22-gram frame
- Optical, sensor, and compute parts have to fit normal-looking frames
- Medical and regulatory approvals still ahead
Key Takeaways
- IXI’s autofocus glasses could end the need for multiple pairs
- Prototype is lighter than most regular frames
- No launch date or regional list yet; a waitlist is live on the company site
- Tech isn’t new-Stanford and other startups have tried-but IXI claims the first consumer-ready, lightweight version
If the company clears final hurdles, wearers may soon swap their bifocals for one pair that simply watches where they look and focuses itself.
