IXI Achieves 22g Smart Glasses Breakthrough in Pursuit of Perfect Fit
Finnish eyewear innovator IXI has unveiled a 22-gram smart glasses prototype, marking a significant milestone in the company's journey to bring autofocus eyewear to market.
The Espoo-based startup, which secured Series A funding earlier this year to commercialise its liquid crystal autofocus lens technology, announced the ultra-lightweight prototype frame (excluding lenses). It represents the world's lightest smart eyewear with embedded electronics.
The development addresses one of the optical industry's most persistent challenges: integrating advanced electronics into eyewear without compromising wearability. Most existing smart eyewear products remain notoriously bulky and uncomfortable for extended wear, a factor that has limited consumer adoption.
Research-Driven Design Philosophy
The achievement follows a comprehensive frame and fit research programme IXI has conducted since 2021. The latest phase involved ergonomic testing with approximately 360 participants aged 20 to 70 across London and Finland, followed by additional testing in the UK, France, Sweden, and Germany.
The research included diverse groups of wearers with varied sight-related needs, from reading glasses users to multifocal wearers. The findings revealed a consistent issue across both traditional and smart eyewear: consumers are forced to compromise on optical ergonomics, resulting in eye strain, neck discomfort, and poor posture.
"The goal was never just to make something lighter — it was to make wearing glasses feel so effortless that you forget you're even wearing them," said Timo Yliluoma, Chief Design Officer at IXI. "We didn't want to focus only on the weight, because that's only one part of eyewear comfort and fit. We set out to build a frame fit architecture that would offer uncompromised fit for various face shapes."
True-Fit Architecture
The company's solution is what it calls a "true-fit frame architecture," featuring customisation options at the temples, nose piece, and pantoscopic tilt. The latter is particularly crucial, as this angle ensures the lens technology aligns naturally with the wearer's eyes.
Notably, all prototypes are already being manufactured using mass-production tooling, demonstrating the design's viability for high-volume manufacturing.
Inverting the Eyewear Purchase Model
CEO and co-founder Niko Eiden, who recently discussed the company's vision technology with EyeSmart, believes the development represents more than an engineering achievement.
"This isn't just a design breakthrough, it changes how people buy eyewear," Eiden explained. "Traditionally, fit has dictated style: you start by finding what works for your face and only then choose from what's available. IXI's approach turns that model on its head. For the first time, people can choose the frame they want, knowing the right fit will follow. It marks a fundamental shift for the eyewear industry: from choosing what fits to expecting everything to fit."
Path to Market
The design milestone comes as IXI prepares for commercialisation, following recently announced European production partnerships for scaling its liquid crystal autofocus lens manufacturing.
The company, which has raised over $40 million (approx. AUD61 million) in funding, continues developing its first-generation product, with further details to be released closer to launch. Interested optical professionals and consumers can join the waitlist at ixieyewear.com.
IXI's advances signal the potential emergence of a new product category that could address presbyopia and other vision challenges with technology rather than traditional multifocal solutions.
