Innovative Eyewear enters EU market, receives EU Certification for Lucyd Armor Safety Glasses

Rhea-AI Summary

Innovative Eyewear (NASDAQ: LUCY) announces EU certification for its Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses, meeting EN 166:2002 standards for workplace use. Launched in Q4 2024, Lucyd Armor has become the company's fastest-selling product, now expanding beyond US, Canadian, and UK markets.

The European safety eyewear market, valued at $1.3b in 2024, is projected to reach $1.6b by 2030 with a 3.5% CAGR. The company is in discussions with distributors for European, Asian, and LATAM market expansion.

Lucyd Armor features include photochromic lenses, Walkie function, high-fidelity audio, and Rx-adaptability. The company plans to launch additional variants, including sunglass and full-range prescription versions. The product is currently available on Lucyd.co and Amazon with prescriptions ranging from SPH -3 to +8.

Positive

• Lucyd Armor has become company's fastest-selling product since Q4 2024 launch
• EU certification opens access to $1.3b European safety eyewear market
• Direct international shipping strategy helps avoid US tariffs
• Company in discussions with notable eyewear distributors for European, Asian, and LATAM expansion

Negative

• Company facing challenges from current US tariff situation
• prescription range availability (SPH -3 to +8)

Insights

Financial Analyst

Innovative Eyewear's EU certification for Lucyd Armor represents a significant market expansion opportunity that could materially impact the company's growth trajectory. The EU safety eyewear market ($1.3 billion in 2024) provides substantial revenue potential with projected growth to $1.6 billion by 2030 at a 3.5% CAGR.

Three key aspects make this development particularly noteworthy: First, Lucyd Armor has rapidly become the company's fastest-selling product since its Q4 2024 launch, demonstrating strong product-market fit. Second, the international expansion strategy intelligently navigates around current US tariff challenges—products shipped directly from China to international markets avoid these tariffs, potentially preserving margins. Third, the company is building a diversified certification portfolio (US, Canada, UK, and now EU) that creates competitive barriers.

The ongoing distributor discussions for Europe, Asia, and LATAM markets suggest a methodical approach to global expansion. Rather than just a "nice-to-have" product, management positions Lucyd Armor as a "need-to-have" workplace tool, targeting sustainable B2B demand in industrial settings where safety compliance is mandatory.

While LUCY's $4.2 million market cap suggests investor skepticism about execution, this certification represents a meaningful step toward addressing a global market with a differentiated product combining safety compliance with advanced features unavailable from competitors.

MIAMI, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (NASDAQ: LUCY | LUCYW), the developer of smart eyewear under the Lucyd®, Nautica®, Eddie Bauer® and Reebok® brands, today announces that its Lucyd Armor™ smart safety glasses have been certified to meet European Union EN 166:2002 safety standards for workplace use.

Lucyd Armor has been a vital addition to the lineup of smart eyewear products produced by the Company, and since launching in Q4 2024 has quickly grown to become the Company's fastest selling unit. The addition of the EU certification opens important European markets for the Lucyd Armor product, in addition to the US, Canadian and UK certifications which the Company has received. Lucyd Armor is unique on the market as the first smart safety glass with photochromic lenses, a full suite of smart features including a Walkie function, high-fidelity audio and Rx-adaptable lenses.

The safety eyewear market in Europe was $1.3b in 2024 and expected to reach a projected revenue of US$ 1.6b by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate of 3.5% from 2025 to 2030.¹ Based on the feedback we received from potential customers at Vision Expo and the National Hardware Show, the Company is in discussions with a notable eyewear distributor to offer Lucyd Armor in Europe, and distributors for the Company's other frames in Asia and LATAM.

The Company believes international expansion centered on the Armor and pending Reebok Powered by Lucyd collection will be foundational to its growth efforts in 2025, particularly in the wake of current US tariff situation. Goods shipped from the Company's manufacturing facilities in China directly to distributors, retailers and retail customers outside the US are not subject to US tariffs, and the Company believes it will have the opportunity to create a stronger footprint as there is less competition in markets outside the US, where smart eyewear is newer to market and tends to be available from fewer quality providers.

The Company plans to introduce additional variants of Lucyd Armor later this year, including sunglass and full-range prescription versions, to complement the original photochromic lens version.

Lucyd Armor™ Highlights:

• The first smart safety glass for all-day wear providing eye protection and communication in one convenient device.
• Lightweight and flexible TR90 body for rugged durability.
• Open-ear audio technology with impressive sound for high-octane environments.
• Seamless voice assistant integration, including ChatGPT, empowering users with hands-free AI access.
• Streamlined touch controls for quick and easy call and music management.
• Built-in Walkie features for global VOIP conferencing with teammates.

Lucyd Armor aims to transform how teams communicate in any environment, from factories to construction sites and everything in between.

"Lucyd Armor™ has quickly grown to become our bestselling product, thanks to the unique mix of functionality, style and affordability it brings to the safety market. Unlike many of our other products which may be perceived as a "nice-to-have" upgrade, Lucyd Armor is unique among smart eyewear in that we believe it is a new "need-to-have" tool for working professionals worldwide, who need eye protection as well as handsfree comms and AI access. We look forward to working with hardware distributors and retailers to bring this new technology to hardworking folks across America, Europe and beyond," said Harrison Gross, CEO of Innovative Eyewear.

Availability

Lucyd Armor is available now on Lucyd.co in a variety of standard lenses and in prescriptions ranging from SPH -3 to +8. The product is also available on Amazon.

About Innovative Eyewear, Inc.

Innovative Eyewear is a developer of cutting-edge ChatGPT enabled smart eyewear, under the Lucyd®, Nautica®, Eddie Bauer® and Reebok® brands. True to our mission to Upgrade Your Eyewear®, our Bluetooth audio glasses allow users to stay safely and ergonomically connected to their digital lives and are offered in hundreds of frame and lens combinations to meet the needs of the optical market. To learn more and explore our continuously evolving collection of smart eyewear, please visit www.lucyd.co.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including those relating to the anticipated launch of "Armor" in Europe and our growth in Europe. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe-harbor for forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "future," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected launch date for the new smart safety eyewear connection. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K under the caption "Risk Factors."

Investor Relations Contact:
Scott Powell, Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
+1 (646) 893-5835 | scott@skylineccg.com

Media Contact:
Sai Main
Email: press@society22pr.com

¹ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/safety-eyewear-market/europe

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SOURCE Innovative Eyewear, Inc.

FAQ

What certification did LUCY receive for Lucyd Armor smart safety glasses in the EU?

LUCY received EN 166:2002 safety standards certification for workplace use in the European Union.

How large is the European safety eyewear market potential for LUCY?

The European safety eyewear market was $1.3b in 2024 and is expected to reach $1.6b by 2030, growing at 3.5% CAGR.

What unique features does LUCY's Lucyd Armor smart safety glasses offer?

Lucyd Armor offers photochromic lenses, Walkie function, high-fidelity audio, Rx-adaptable lenses, and ChatGPT integration.

When will LUCY launch new variants of Lucyd Armor?

LUCY plans to introduce sunglass and full-range prescription versions of Lucyd Armor later in 2025.

How does LUCY's international expansion strategy address US tariff challenges?

LUCY can avoid US tariffs by shipping directly from China to international distributors, retailers, and customers outside the US.