What Lapaire does

Lapaire is a Pan-African optical retail chain headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, that operates a network of 134 physical optical centers across 10 African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, Morocco, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Founded in 2018, the company provides free comprehensive eye examinations (approximately 20 minutes, conducted by qualified opticians) and affordable prescription eyewear to mass-market consumers who are largely underserved by traditional optical retail. All packages include frame and corrective lenses at transparent, locally adapted prices starting from 19,000 FCFA. The company has served over 200,000 customers cumulatively and conducted more than 1.15 million patient screenings between 2019 and 2026.

The core product offering consists of prescription glasses (unifocal, progressive, and blue-light blocking lens options), sunglasses, and dedicated blue-light blocking glasses, with frames available in multiple shapes (round, rectangular, aviator, cat-eye, square, oval, browline), materials (plastic, metal, TR90, mixed), and styles refreshed weekly. Technology stack is standard optical retail — auto-refraction equipment, optometrist-reviewed examinations, online appointment booking, and WhatsApp-based customer support. The company has accumulated a proprietary dataset of 1.15M+ patient screenings, published as the Africa Vision Health Index 2026, which represents a continent-scale asset on refractive health with no comparable public alternative.

Lapaire's business model is unit-based retail with zero recurring revenue: every transaction is a one-time point-of-sale purchase of an eyewear package at the branch. Distribution is exclusively physical retail (134 branches) supplemented by online appointment booking and WhatsApp ordering support. Marketing relies on country-specific social media (Facebook and Instagram with 24-48K followers per market), WhatsApp engagement, and content marketing through the company blog. The company is led by CEO and founder Jérôme Lapaire and has raised approximately $6.7M+ across disclosed rounds from Beyond Capital Ventures (Series B, Nov 2023), AAIC Investment, FINCA Ventures, Investisseurs & Partenaires (Jan 2024 extension), AfricInvest's Transform Health Fund (Oct 2024), and Proparco (Oct 2024).

Name

Lapaire

Legal name

Lapaire

Website

https://lapaire.africa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Lapaire is a Pan-African optical retail chain operating 134 physical branches across 10 African countries, offering free eye tests and affordable prescription eyewear to mass-market consumers from its Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail Services

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Eyewear Retail & DTC Brands (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Affordable prescription eyewear
• Optical retail services
• Pan-african eye care
• Vision correction products
• Free eye examination

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Eyewear Sales: One-time sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, and blue-light blocking glasses. Package includes frame and corrective lenses at transparent, all-inclusive prices starting from 19,000 FCFA depending on country. Revenue is generated through point-of-sale transactions at physical branches.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lapaire operates a Pan-African optical retail chain providing free comprehensive eye examinations and selling affordable prescription glasses, sunglasses, and blue-light blocking glasses as all-inclusive packages (frame and corrective lenses) starting from 19,000 FCFA. Products and services are delivered through 134 physical optical centers across 9-10 African countries, supplemented by online appointment booking and WhatsApp-based customer support.

Product overview

Lapaire is a Pan-African optical retail chain operating a platform of physical optical centers across 9 African countries. The core offering combines a free eye test service with three main product lines: prescription glasses (with unifocal, progressive, and blue-light blocking lens options), sunglasses, and blue-light blocking glasses. All glasses include frame and corrective lenses with locally adapted pricing. The company differentiates through weekly new frame arrivals, transparent all-inclusive pricing, and an online Visual Age Test engagement tool. Services are delivered through 120+ physical branches with WhatsApp customer support, and customers can book appointments online or walk into any branch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Eye Test Complimentary comprehensive eye examination performed by qualified opticians in Lapaire physical branches, lasting approximately 20 minutes with no purchase commitment required; available to any walk-in or appointment customer.
• Prescription Glasses Prescription eyewear sold as an all-inclusive package of frame and corrective lenses (unifocal, progressive, or blue-light blocking lens options), available in men's, women's, and unisex styles, with locally adapted pricing starting from 19,000 FCFA.
• Sunglasses Sunglasses with UV protection, available with or without corrective lenses, offered across all Lapaire branches in multiple frame styles.
• Blue-Light Blocking Glasses Eyewear with lenses designed to filter blue light from digital screens, available both as standalone lenses and as an add-on option to prescription glasses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free eye test completed in approximately 20 minutes with no commitment required
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lenskart: Lenskart is the dominant affordable eyewear DTC and omnichannel retailer in India, operating hundreds of physical stores plus a strong online channel. Like Lapaire, it combines free/low-cost eye exams with vertically integrated frame and lens offerings at mass-market price points, making it the closest emerging-market analogue to Lapaire's model.
• Warby Parker: Warby Parker pioneered the affordable DTC eyewear retail model in the US with home try-on, vertical integration, and physical retail expansion. Lapaire mirrors Warby Parker's playbook of transparent all-inclusive pricing, free in-store consultations, and growing retail density — adapted for African mass-market consumers.
• Zenni Optical: Zenni is the leading ultra-low-cost online eyewear retailer globally, offering complete prescription glasses starting under $10. Comparable to Lapaire on aggressive pricing and accessibility for first-time buyers, though primarily online-led rather than retail-anchored.
• Polette: Polette is a European DTC eyewear brand offering affordable prescription frames and lenses online with vertically integrated production. Compares to Lapaire on transparent all-inclusive pricing and accessibility for mass-market customers, though operating in a different geography.
• SmartBuyGlasses: SmartBuyGlasses is a global online eyewear retailer offering prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses at competitive price points. Comparable to Lapaire on affordable eyewear positioning, though without Lapaire's brick-and-mortar retail depth and African focus.
• Clearly (formerly ClearlyContacts): Clearly is an online optical retailer offering eyewear and contact lenses across multiple markets with virtual try-on tools. Comparable to Lapaire as a digitally enabled eyewear retailer focused on accessible vision correction.
• GlassesUSA: GlassesUSA is a large online eyewear retailer in North America offering affordable prescription glasses and sunglasses with virtual try-on. Comparable to Lapaire on accessible pricing and digital-led customer experience, though focused on online channels in developed markets.
• EyeBuyDirect: EyeBuyDirect is an online affordable eyewear retailer competing in the value segment of prescription frames and lenses. Comparable to Lapaire on aggressive mass-market pricing and first-time buyer conversion.

Broad incumbents

• Specsavers: Specsavers is one of the world's largest optical retail chains, combining eye exams with affordable eyewear across multiple geographies. While it operates at much larger scale and primarily in developed markets, its combined exam-plus-eyewear value proposition is structurally similar to Lapaire's.
• Vision Express: Vision Express is a large European optical retail chain offering eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lenses through physical stores. Comparable to Lapaire as a multi-branch optical retailer with integrated eye-care services, though operating in mature European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lapaire.bn
• Instagraminstagram.com/lapaire.bn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors8 records

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 Lapaire