What Caddis does

Caddis is a privately held direct-to-consumer eyewear company founded in 2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah, targeting adults aged 40 and older with prescription glasses, readers, and sunglasses. Its core product line spans 148 prescription frames, 183 reading glass frames, and 41 sunglass frames, sold primarily through caddislife.com alongside company-owned retail stores in NYC and Century City, and a limited wholesale presence at Anthropologie. The brand differentiates around hand-painted metal frame construction, premium Zeiss LightPro lens technology (smudge-resistant, glare-reducing) in its sunglasses, certified optician hand-measurement for prescription orders, and extensive frame customization exemplified by the Miklos model available in 27 colorways. Caddis rejects the 'fountain of youth' messaging common in the optical category, instead positioning around aging openly with the tagline 'Get older. Own it.' and the 'What's Your YET?' social campaign.

Caddis monetizes primarily through one-time unit-priced transactions, with reading glasses starting at $55, prescription glasses starting at $289, and Zeiss-equipped sunglasses starting at $180. The company layers a points-based loyalty program (Cult Rewards), affiliate and referral programs, and limited-edition designer collaborations (Liz Lambert, Frances Valentine, Jeremy Jones) to drive repeat purchase and brand engagement. Accessory revenue (cases, loosies, gift cards) and FSA/HSA acceptance extend the wallet share. Pricing and channel strategy target the premium-but-not-luxury consumer in the 40+ presbyopia and blue-light segments.

The firm has raised approximately $21.1M across four funding events through April 2025, with no disclosed revenue or ARR. Leadership includes founder and CEO Tim Parr, co-founder Dustin Robertson, and CMO Amy Lanigan. The company's growth strategy depends on further DTC scaling, selective physical retail, and continued wholesale and collaboration expansion in a competitive market populated by Warby Parker, Zenni, and legacy optical retailers.

Name

Caddis

Legal name

Caddis

Website

https://caddislife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Caddis is a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand founded in 2016 selling prescription glasses, readers, and Zeiss-equipped sunglasses through its own e-commerce site, retail stores in NYC and Century City, and Anthropologie, targeting U.S. adults aged 40 and older.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prescription Eyewear

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA)

Keywords

• Prescription eyewear
• Reading glasses
• Designer sunglasses
• Blue light glasses
• Progressive lenses

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Eyewear Product Sales: One-time purchase model for prescription glasses, readers, and sunglasses. Products are sold directly to consumers with pricing based on frame style and lens type. No subscription component; customers purchase individual frames as needed.
2. Accessories Sales: Sale of eyewear accessories including cases, loosies (single lens replacements), and gift cards. Complements primary eyewear product line.
3. Cult Rewards Loyalty Program: Points-based loyalty program where customers earn points on purchases (1 point per $1 spent). Points can be redeemed for discounts ($10 off at 100 points, up to $50 off at 500 points) and exclusive items. Drives repeat purchases and customer retention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Caddis is a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand designing and selling prescription glasses, non-prescription readers, and sunglasses through its owned e-commerce platform (caddislife.com) and company-owned retail stores in NYC and Century City. The company targets adults 40+ with presbyopia and emphasizes proprietary frame designs with hand-painted metal construction, premium Zeiss LightPro lens technology in sunglasses, certified optician services for prescription fitting, and an extensive catalog with deep color customization.

Product overview

Caddis is an eyewear company selling prescription glasses, readers, and sunglasses through caddislife.com and physical Caddis stores in NYC and Century City. The product portfolio centers on three core offerings: Prescription Glasses (148 frames with certified optician fitting), Readers (183 frames with non-prescription magnification), and Sunglasses (41 frames featuring Zeiss LightPro lenses). Key frame styles include Miklos, Miklos++, Montoya, Hooper, D28, Porgy Backstage, and Root Cause Analysis. Technology features include blue light filtering, light-responsive (photochromic) lenses, and progressive lens options. Accessories include Loosies (single-lens readers), Cases, and Gift Cards. Products are sold exclusively through Caddis channels, with a Cult Rewards loyalty program offering points for purchases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prescription Glasses Prescription eyeglasses fitted with custom prescriptions by certified opticians, available in 148 frame styles including aviator, cat-eye, rectangle, round, and square shapes in various colors and fits. Pricing ranges from $289 (Bixby) to $420 (Miklos++).
• Readers Non-prescription reading glasses for close-up vision correction, available in 183 frame styles with pricing starting at $55 (Birdcage, J. Turkee) and most styles around $89-$110. Blue light filtering and progressive reader variants available.
• Progressive Readers Multifocal reading glasses with progressive lens technology for seamless transition between near and distance vision without visible lines.
• Sunglasses Non-prescription sunglasses with UV protection and Zeiss LightPro lenses for glare elimination and visual clarity. Available in 41 frame styles starting at $180 (Porgy Backstage) up to $240+ (Bandit).
• Prescription Sunglasses Sunglasses with custom prescription lenses, combining UV protection and Zeiss lens technology with vision correction.
• Sun Progressives Progressive sunglasses combining multifocal lens technology with sun protection for near, intermediate, and distance vision outdoors.
• Blue Light Readers Reading glasses with blue light filtering technology to reduce digital eye strain from screens. Available across multiple frame styles starting at $89.
• Blue Light Prescription Glasses Prescription glasses with integrated blue light filtering coating for digital device users needing both vision correction and blue light protection.
• Sunglass Readers Sunglasses with built-in magnifying lenses for near vision correction while outdoors.
• Loosies Single lens readers designed for quick, temporary near-vision tasks, sold as individual accessories.
• Cases Protective eyewear cases for storing and transporting glasses, complementing the primary eyewear product line.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards for Caddis products available for purchase online.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZeisscoreTechnology or IntegrationCaddis partners with Carl Zeiss for premium lens technology. The Zeiss LightPro lenses offer glare elimination, device visibility, and visual clarity in a lightweight, smudge-resistant package. This partnership provides Caddis sunglasses with high-quality, recognized lens brand positioning.
• Liz LambertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Neta x Liz Lambert limited edition reading glasses. Product features exclusive colorway options developed with the designer.
• Frances ValentineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Miklos x Frances Valentine limited edition reading glasses. Partnership creates exclusive product variants with distinctive design elements.
• Jeremy JonesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Caddis x Jeremy Jones Root Cause Analysis reading glasses. Limited edition product developed with the professional snowboarder.
• AnthropologieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnthropologie carries select Caddis eyewear products in their retail stores. This wholesale/retail partnership extends brand distribution to Anthropologie's customer base. Note: Purchases at Anthropologie do not earn Cult Rewards points.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zenni Optical: Zenni Optical is one of the largest online-only eyewear retailers, offering prescription glasses and sunglasses at significantly lower price points. Caddis competes for the same online prescription customer but at the premium end, where Zenni serves as the value benchmark.
• Felix Gray: Felix Gray specializes in blue light filtering glasses for digital device users, offering both prescription and non-prescription options online. It overlaps directly with Caddis' blue light readers and blue light prescription product lines.
• Clearly: Clearly (formerly Clearly Contacts) is an online eyewear and contact lens retailer operating across North America. It is comparable to Caddis as a digital-first eyewear brand offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contacts.
• Warby Parker: Warby Parker is the leading direct-to-consumer eyewear brand in the US, selling prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contacts online and through a large owned retail footprint. Caddis mirrors Warby Parker's DTC-plus-retail model, vertical integration, and home try-on-adjacent experience, but targets the 40+ demographic.
• GlassesUSA: GlassesUSA is one of the largest online optical retailers in North America, selling prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contacts. It competes with Caddis in the online prescription eyewear category, particularly on price and breadth of inventory.
• David Kind: David Kind is a DTC eyewear brand offering prescription eyewear and sunglasses with an emphasis on distinctive design and personalized service. It is closely comparable to Caddis in scale, model, and customer experience.
• Liingo Eyewear: Liingo Eyewear operates as a direct-to-consumer eyewear brand offering prescription glasses and readers with a focus on stylish, affordable eyewear. It is a structural peer to Caddis in the online prescription and reader segments.
• EyeBuyDirect: EyeBuyDirect is an online eyewear retailer offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and blue light glasses at value price points. It competes for the same digital-first eyewear shopper as Caddis across prescription, readers, and blue light categories.
• Readers.com: Readers.com is a specialty online retailer focused specifically on reading glasses. It is a focused peer to Caddis' readers product line and competes in the same non-prescription reading segment.

Broad incumbents

• LensCrafters: LensCrafters is one of the largest retail optical chains in North America, offering prescription eyewear, eye exams, and contact lenses through owned retail locations. As a broader incumbent with optical retail at scale, it competes with Caddis for prescription eyewear customers but serves a much wider product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfaYlDSxWkvudyrLJRYQ1Rg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/caddislife
• Instagraminstagram.com/Caddis_life
• Pinterestco.pinterest.com/caddis_life

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 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 Caddis