What Ace & Tate does

Ace & Tate is a Dutch direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer headquartered in Amsterdam, founded in 2013 by Mark de Lange. The company designs and sells prescription glasses (from $150, including standard lenses), non-prescription and prescription sunglasses (from $125), and a tiered lens-upgrade stack comprising Blue Light Filter ($30), Premium lenses ($60), Supreme lenses ($90), and Polarised lenses ($75), alongside accessories ($12-$42) and clip-ons. The assortment spans approximately 352 core frames with sub-collections including the 29-piece Combi line (acetate-metal hybrid) and a 41-piece bestsellers range. The technical platform relies on in-house optical product development rather than proprietary AI; differentiated features are patent-backed lens coatings (e.g., 43% blue-violet blocking, near-100% UV-A/B rejection) and high-quality acetate manufacturing partnerships.

The go-to-market is omnichannel and direct: approximately 80 owned retail stores across Europe provide try-on, style consultation, and in-store eye tests, while aceandtate.com sells the full range online with prescription upload and pupillary-distance tooling, free delivery above $36, 30-day returns, and a two-year guarantee. Marketing is digital-first across Meta, TikTok, Microsoft, organic search, email, and seasonal campaigns. Revenue mechanics are unit-pricing on physical goods plus professional eye-care services, with a 40%-off second-pair bundle offer used to lift average order value. The customer base is a broad horizontal persona of fashion-conscious European consumers seeking accessible design-led eyewear; no B2B or wholesale channel exists.

Ace & Tate is privately held as Ace & Tate B.V., is B Corp certified, and has been executing an active European expansion strategy: in February 2026 it announced its first acquisition, Spanish DTC eyewear brand Project Lobster (~7 stores in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, price band $190-$310), alongside a target of opening 10 additional stores in 2026 with the stated ambition of becoming the leading optical brand in Europe. The European eyewear market is projected to nearly double from $42.43B (2024) to $80.72B (2033), providing the addressable tailwind for this build-out.

Name

Ace & Tate

Legal name

Ace & Tate B.V.

Website

https://aceandtate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ace & Tate is a Dutch direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer (founded 2013, Amsterdam) selling prescription glasses and sunglasses through ~80 owned European stores and its e-commerce site, serving fashion-conscious consumers with accessible, design-led optical products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Designer Eyewear

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eyewear Accessories & Care (Cases, Cleaning, Chains) (CRAAAKAI), Reading Glasses (OTC) (CRAAAKAG)

Keywords

• Prescription eyewear retail
• Designer sunglasses
• Direct-to-consumer eyewear
• Optical retail stores
• Eyewear accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Eyewear Sales (Glasses & Sunglasses): Primary revenue stream from selling prescription glasses, non-prescription glasses, and sunglasses directly to consumers. Glasses start at $150 including prescription lenses; sunglasses start at $125. Additional revenue from lens upgrades (Premium $60, Supreme $90), blue light filter add-ons ($30), and polarised lens upgrades ($75).
2. Accessories: Secondary revenue stream from accessories including cleaning kits ($14), hard cases ($18), steel cords ($25), twisted cords, acetate cords ($42), origami cases, and phone cases ($26).
3. Eye Care Services: Revenue from in-store eye test appointments and related professional services, complementing the product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ace & Tate designs and sells its own line of prescription eyeglasses (starting from $150 with lenses), sunglasses (from $125), and eyewear accessories through a direct-to-consumer omnichannel model combining ~80 owned retail stores across Europe with the aceandtate.com e-commerce site. Offerings include differentiated in-house lens technologies such as a patented Blue Light Filter, Premium and Supreme lens upgrades, and polarised lenses. Stores also provide professional in-store eye tests and style consultations.

Product overview

Ace & Tate is a Dutch direct-to-consumer eyewear brand offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and accessories with a focus on affordability and style. The core product lineup consists of prescription glasses (starting from $150 with lenses included) and sunglasses (starting from $125), supplemented by premium lens upgrades (Premium at $60, Supreme at $90), blue light filters, polarised lenses, and clip-on attachments. The company also offers a Combi Collection of mixed-material frames combining acetate and metal, an Archive Collection of online-exclusive discounted past-season frames from $79, and various accessories including cases, cords, and cleaning products. Current product launches include the Combi Collection (mixed-material frames) and The Spectators sunglasses collection (2026). Ace & Tate operates approximately 80 stores across Europe with plans to add ten more stores in 2026 following their first acquisition of Spanish brand Project Lobster.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prescription Glasses Full collection of prescription eyeglass frames starting from $150, including standard prescription lenses, available in acetate, metal, and Combi (mixed acetate and metal) materials, sold online and in-store.
• Sunglasses Full range of non-prescription and prescription sunglasses starting from $125 (Single Vision from $175, Varifocals from $375), featuring round, square, oval, and hexagonal frame shapes in acetate and metal materials.
• Clip-on Sunglasses Lightweight sunglasses attachments starting from $75 that transform prescription glasses into sunglasses for convenient on-the-go wear.
• Combi Frames Collection Distinct frame collection of 29 styles combining acetate and metal materials with detailed finishings, sleek rounded temples, integrated hinges, and rimlocks, offering a balance of structure and lightness.
• Archive Collection Online-exclusive discounted collection of past-season Ace & Tate frames starting from $79, regularly refreshed with discontinued favourites.
• Eyewear Accessories Eyewear care and lifestyle accessories including cleaning kits ($14), hard cases ($18), steel cords ($25), acetate cords ($42), phone cases ($26), and lens cleaning cloths ($12).
• In-Store Eye Care Services Professional in-store eye test appointments and related optician services offered at Ace & Tate's owned retail stores across Europe, complementing the brand's product offerings.
• Polarised Sunglasses Standalone polarised sunglasses with a special lens filter that eliminates glare from reflective surfaces, available in green, grey, and brown colorways with 100% UV-A and UV-B protection and scratch-resistant coating.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43% blue-violet light blocked by Blue Light Filter
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Project LobstercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Ace & Tate's first acquisition, acquiring Spanish eyewear brand Project Lobster as part of its European expansion strategy. Project Lobster, founded in 2018, operates approximately seven stores across Barcelona, Madrid, and Valencia, offering direct-to-consumer eyewear priced between $190 and $310. The acquisition aims to strengthen Ace & Tate's foothold in Spain by leveraging Project Lobster's local expertise and loyal customer base. Financial details were undisclosed. Both brands will prioritise operational continuity while working toward a more unified retail experience under Ace & Tate's larger organisational structure.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Warby Parker: US-based direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses online and through ~200 retail stores. Closest comparable by business model (omnichannel DTC optical), target customer (fashion-conscious, value-seeking consumer), and proprietary brand strategy.
• Mister Spex: Berlin-headquartered European online optical retailer combining e-commerce with physical retail stores across Germany and Europe. Directly comparable as Ace & Tate's most relevant pan-European DTC optical competitor with overlapping geographies and customer segments.
• GlassesUSA.com: Online-first optical retailer selling prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses with global shipping. Comparable as a direct-to-consumer optical player competing in the same accessible price band ($150ish) as Ace & Tate.
• EyeBuyDirect: Pure-play online optical retailer offering low-priced prescription eyewear. Comparable as the deep-discount end of the online optical market, putting downward pressure on Ace & Tate's mid-tier pricing.

Emerging players

• Lenskart: Indian-origin direct-to-consumer eyewear brand expanding internationally with both online and physical retail. Comparable as a globally scaling DTC optical brand pursuing the same fashion-meets-affordability positioning as Ace & Tate.
• Polette: French online-first eyewear brand offering affordable designer-style frames direct to consumers. Comparable as a European design-led optical DTC brand with overlapping fashion-conscious target customer.

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica: World's largest eyewear company controlling premium brands (Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol), retail chains (LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut), and lens manufacturing. Comparable as the dominant incumbent whose brand power, vertical integration, and capital scale shape the competitive context for Ace & Tate.
• GrandVision (part of EssilorLuxottica): Large optical retail group (operating brands including Vision Express, Pearle, Atol) now under EssilorLuxottica ownership. Comparable as a multi-banner European optical retailer operating on similar store-based dispensing economics.

Regional players

• Specsavers: UK-founded optical retail chain operating primarily in the UK, Ireland, and select European/Nordic markets with clinical dispensing focus. Comparable as a major European optical retailer, though more dominant in the British market where Ace & Tate has less presence.

Others

• Safilo: Italian eyewear manufacturer producing branded and licensed frames sold through optical retailers. Comparable as an adjacent industry participant whose brand-and-licensing strategy informs the competitive backdrop for design-led DTC optical brands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aceandtate
• Facebookfacebook.com/aceandtate

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ace & Tate