KITS

What KITS does

KITS Eyecare Ltd. is a Vancouver-headquartered, TSX-listed digital eyecare retailer operating a vertically integrated platform for prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and AI-powered smart glasses across North America. The company sells primarily through owned e-commerce properties kits.com (US) and kits.ca (Canada), supplemented by flagship retail showrooms in Vancouver and a newly opened Toronto location, serving 1.1 million active customers as of Q1 2026 — double the 500,000-customer base at its 2021 IPO. US customers contributed 68.4% of 2024 revenue, indicating meaningful cross-border reach.

The product stack spans prescription eyeglasses (frames from $28, with progressive lens upgrades carrying 50% profit margins), sunglasses, contact lenses (proprietary KITS Daily plus major brands Acuvue, Alcon, CooperVision, and Bausch + Lomb), and the Pangolin smart glasses franchise. The OpticianAI platform — trained on over one million transactions — combines selfie-based facial scanning, pupillary distance measurement, virtual try-on, and voice interaction to recommend across more than 5,000 frame styles. Pangolin Gen-3 smart glasses integrate dual cameras and vision-assisted AI, representing a progression from voice-only (Gen 1, with ChatGPT integration) to contextual AI vision.

KITS monetizes through direct e-commerce sales, an Autoship subscription offering 15% recurring savings on contact lenses ($5.9M in Q1 2025), premium lens add-ons, and direct insurance billing with VSP, Eyemed, Superior, Versant, and Medavie Blue Cross — collectively covering roughly 174M lives. A vertically integrated onshore lens lab enables same-day prescription lens delivery across North America. In Q1 2026, KITS posted record revenue of $57.5M CAD (+23% YoY), full-year 2025 revenue of $202.5M CAD (+27.1% YoY), and 14 consecutive quarters of positive Adjusted EBITDA.

Name

KITS

Legal name

Kits Eyecare Ltd.

Website

https://kits.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KITS Eyecare Ltd. is a TSX-listed, vertically integrated digital eyecare retailer selling prescription glasses, contact lenses, and AI-powered smart glasses to 1.1 million North American consumers through owned e-commerce sites and flagship showrooms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Optical Retail / Direct-to-Consumer Eyecare

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA)

Keywords

• Prescription eyewear online
• Contact lens retail
• Smart eyewear technology
• Direct-to-consumer eyecare
• Vision insurance billing

Headquarters

HQ city

Blaine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Contact Lens Sales: Primary revenue stream through e-commerce sale of contact lenses from major brands (Acuvue, Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb) and proprietary KITS Daily brand. Includes subscription Autoship program with 15% savings.
2. Eyeglasses Sales: Sale of prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and smart glasses. Growing segment with 60.5% YoY growth in Q1 2026. Includes designer frames and proprietary KITS brand.
3. Premium Lens Add-ons: Revenue from premium lens upgrades including progressive lenses which carry 50% profit margins.
4. Pangolin Smart Glasses: AI-powered smart eyewear line generating additional revenue with video and photo-enabled designs at $198 CAD / $168 USD.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KITS is a vertically integrated digital eyecare platform that sells prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and AI-powered smart glasses directly to consumers through its e-commerce storefronts (kits.com and kits.ca) and flagship retail showrooms in Vancouver and Toronto. The company leverages its proprietary OpticianAI platform for personalized eyewear recommendations, operates an onshore lens lab enabling same-day prescription lens delivery, and offers direct billing to major vision insurance providers across North America.

Product overview

KITS is a vertically integrated digital eyecare platform offering prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and AI-powered smart glasses. The core offering consists of KITS Eyeglasses and Sunglasses with prescription capabilities, KITS Contact Lenses (including daily, colored, and specialty options), and the Pangolin Smart Glasses line featuring AI-powered vision capabilities. The OpticianAI platform serves as an AI-powered recommendation engine that provides personalized eyewear recommendations through facial scanning, prescription data analysis, and virtual try-on technology. Additional offerings include the KITS App companion app, Autoship subscription for contact lens reorders, KITS+ membership program, and direct insurance billing integration. The company operates primarily through its e-commerce platform (kits.com for US, kits.ca for Canada) with flagship retail showrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pangolin: AI-powered smart glasses franchise with dual cameras and vision intelligence capabilities
• OpticianAI
• KITS Daily
• Autoship

Products and services

• KITS Eyeglasses Prescription eyeglasses with various frame styles, materials (acetate, metal, eco-friendly), and lens options including progressives, blue light, and polarized lenses. Designed and handcrafted in Vancouver with direct insurance billing support. Frames starting at $28.
• KITS Sunglasses Prescription sunglasses and non-prescription sunwear including polarized options, available across various frame styles and materials.
• KITS Contact Lenses Contact lenses including daily disposables, weekly, monthly, toric for astigmatism, multifocal, and color options from brands including Acuvue, Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb, and KITS Daily.
• KITS Daily Color Contacts Daily disposable colored contact lenses made from 3rd Generation Hydrogel material, available in five colors priced at $15.00 CAD for a 10-pack. Launched August 2024 with margins projected to be approximately double those of standard clear contact lenses.
• Pangolin Smart Glasses (Gen 1) Limited-edition smart glasses line integrating vision correction with AI connectivity features including voice-activated access to ChatGPT and hands-free calling. Offers prescription lenses in a single transaction.
• Pangolin Gen-3 Smart Glasses Third-generation AI-powered smart eyewear featuring dual integrated cameras and vision-assisted intelligence, representing a progression from voice-only smart glasses to contextual AI vision capabilities. Available with full prescription customization at $198 CAD / $168 USD.
• OpticianAI Platform AI-powered platform providing personalized eyewear shopping experiences by combining customer facial measurements, prescription data, pupillary distance, and style preferences to recommend from over 5,000 frame styles. Features include selfie-based facial scanning, real-time optical measurement detection, visual match tools, voice interaction, and virtual try-on technology.
• Autoship Subscription Program Recurring subscription program offering 15% savings on future orders, price-match guarantee, free shipping, and loyalty rewards for contact lens reorders. Generated $5.9 million in Q1 2025 recurring revenue.
• KITS+ Membership Premium membership program offering additional savings and perks for repeat KITS customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record Q1 2026 revenue of $57.5M, up 23% YoY
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SportRx, Optimedic Group, SelectSpecs.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 April 2026Retail partnerships secured for North American distribution of Lucyd Armor smart safety eyewear line through Innovative Eyewear, separate from KITS Pangolin line.
• Medavie Blue CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2025Expanded partnership providing Medavie Blue Cross members with exclusive discounts on prescription glasses, contact lenses, and premium lens upgrades when shopping online at KITS.ca. Integrates KITS into Medavie's Connected Care platform.
• VSP, Eyemed, Superior, VersantcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 March 2025Launched integrated vision care insurance support for US customers enabling eligibility verification and electronic claims filing with major vision insurance providers covering 67% of US adults (174 million people).

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ray-Ban Meta: Smart glasses line co-developed by Meta and EssilorLuxottica featuring cameras, AI assistant, and prescription-ready frames. The dominant competitor to KITS' Pangolin franchise in the AI smart eyewear category.
• Clearly (formerly ClearlyContacts): Canadian online contact lens and eyewear retailer serving the same North American consumer with a similar product mix. KITS' incoming CFO Ibrahim Kamar was previously CFO of Clearly, indicating direct competitive and operational overlap.
• Zenni Optical: Pure-play online prescription eyewear retailer known for ultra-low price points starting under $10. Comparable to KITS on digital-first glasses e-commerce, broad frame catalog, and aggressive value positioning, though KITS layers in AI tools and insurance integration.
• Warby Parker: The leading US-listed direct-to-consumer prescription eyewear retailer with a vertically integrated brand model, retail showrooms, and home try-on. Comparable to KITS on DTC motion, vertical integration, own-brand frames, insurance billing, and physical showroom expansion.
• EyeBuyDirect: Online prescription eyewear retailer offering affordable frames and lenses globally. Direct competitor on KITS' core glasses value proposition, including designer-brand lookalikes and direct-to-consumer shipping.
• GlassesUSA.com: Large online prescription eyewear retailer with insurance integration and broad brand selection. Direct competitor to KITS on US online glasses sales, value pricing, and insurance billing workflows.

Emerging players

• Felix Gray: Direct-to-consumer eyewear brand focused on blue light and prescription glasses with a digital-first brand positioning. Comparable to KITS on DTC marketing motion and younger demographic targeting, though narrower in product range.
• Innovative Eyewear (Lucyd): Public company selling smart eyewear under the Lucyd and Lucyd Armor brands, including the SportRx/Optimedic/SelectSpecs partnership referenced in KITS' data. Direct competitor in the prescription-compatible smart glasses category that KITS is targeting with Pangolin.

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica: Global eyewear conglomerate owning Ray-Ban, Oakley, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut. Supplies many of the designer brands KITS retails and competes through retail chains; also parent of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, the dominant competitor to KITS' Pangolin line.
• LensCrafters: Major US optical retail chain owned by EssilorLuxottica offering prescription eyewear, eye exams, and on-site lens finishing. Competitor for in-person optical shoppers and a relevant benchmark for KITS' emerging showroom strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kitseyecare
• Facebookfacebook.com/kitseyecare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kits-eyecare
• Instagraminstagram.com/kitseyecare
• TikToktiktok.com/@kitseyecare
• Pinterestpinterest.ca/KITSEYECARE

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KITS