Kodano Group

What Kodano Group does

Kodano Group (KODANO S.A.) is a Krakow, Poland-based private optical retailer founded in 2002, operating a hybrid online and offline model built around contact lenses, prescription eyeglasses, and sunglasses. Its digital storefront at kodano.pl is complemented by a network of Salony KODANO Optyk physical retail stores, a franchise program (franchisingkodano.pl), 24/7 automated Soczewkomaty contact lens vending machines, and a mobile app on iOS and Android supporting ordering, eye examination booking, store location, and loyalty rewards. The company maintains a warehouse of 4+ million contact lenses for rapid fulfillment and offers a broad catalog spanning four global manufacturers (Alcon, Johnson & Johnson/ACUVUE, Bausch & Lomb, CooperVision), premium designer frame brands (Ray-Ban, Gucci, Versace, Tom Ford, Dolce&Gabbana, etc.), and four house sub-brands (#bioview, AquaView, FitView, Clean Active). Underlying platform features include a Virtual Try-On tool, a Lens Parameter Calculator, a Kodano Max annual free-delivery subscription, and a 1 PLN promotional eye examination offered in physical salons. The business monetizes via unit sales across categories, franchise/licensing fees, and value-added services to over 100,000 stated regular customers.

In October 2024, Kodano secured €9.3 million from Vinci Da Gama Fund (managed by Vinci S.A.), its first significant institutional capital event, earmarked for cross-border European expansion, laboratory and manufacturing capability build-out, growth of physical stores, and e-commerce improvement. The company states 4.9/5 customer ratings on Opineo with a 99% recommendation rate, and employs between 101 and 250 staff. Its founders, Mateusz Matula and Jacek Młodawski, remain associated with the business. Distribution is currently concentrated in Poland, with explicit intent to internationalize across Europe funded by the Vinci investment.

The business model rests on volume-driven D2C optical retail: aggressive price anchoring (eyeglasses from 49.99 PLN, polarized sunglasses from 69.30 PLN, contact lenses from ~1.66 PLN), 0% installment financing, recurring contact-lens reorder dynamics, franchise unit expansion, and growing automation through vending machines and a mobile app. Customer acquisition blends SEO-led e-commerce, social media, email, and physical retail traffic, with no reliance on enterprise contracts.

Name

Kodano Group

Legal name

KODANO S.A.

Website

https://kodano.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kodano Group is a Krakow, Poland-based optical retailer selling contact lenses, prescription eyeglasses, and sunglasses to individual consumers via e-commerce (kodano.pl), KODANO Optyk physical stores, a franchise network, mobile app, and 24/7 Soczewkomaty vending machines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Optical Goods Retailers (456130), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eyewear Retail & DTC Brands (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAK), Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB), Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA)

Keywords

• Contact lens retail
• Prescription eyewear
• Optical retail
• Online optical store
• Sunglasses retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Kraków

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Contact Lenses: Retail sale of contact lenses from major brands (Alcon, Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb, CooperVision) and own brands (#bioview, AquaView, FitView, Clean Active). Products include daily, bi-weekly, monthly, toric, progressive, and colored lenses. Revenue from unit sales with pricing ranging from approximately 1.66 zł to 5.16 zł per lens depending on brand.
2. Product Sales - Eyeglasses and Sunglasses: Retail sale of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. Includes own brand frames and premium brands (Ray-Ban, Vogue, Guess, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Versace, Tom Ford, etc.). Eyeglasses available from 49.99 zł, sunglasses with polarization from 69.30 zł.
3. Franchise Revenue: Revenue from franchise network (Salony KODANO Optyk) where independent operators open optical retail stores under the Kodano brand. The company franchisingkodano.pl website indicates active franchise program.
4. Investment Capital: External funding from Vinci Da Gama Fund (managed by Vinci S.A.) of €9.3 million designated for European market expansion, physical store growth, e-commerce improvement, and laboratory/manufacturing capability enhancement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kodano Group is a Kraków-based Polish optical retailer selling contact lenses, prescription eyeglasses, and sunglasses through its kodano.pl e-commerce site, KODANO Optyk physical retail stores, Soczewkomaty 24/7 lens vending machines, and a mobile app. The company sells major brands (Alcon, Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb, CooperVision, Ray-Ban, Gucci) alongside its own house brands (#bioview, AquaView, FitView, Clean Active) and operates a franchise network for optical salons across Poland.

Product overview

Kodano Group operates Kodano.pl, a Polish e-commerce optical retailer combining online sales with physical retail through a franchise network. The core offering centers on contact lenses (daily, bi-weekly, monthly, toric, progressive, and colored variants) and corrective/sunglasses from major brands plus three house sub-brands (#bioview, AquaView, FitView). The platform integrates physical stores (KODANO Optyk), 24/7 vending machines (Soczewkomaty), a mobile app with loyalty features, virtual try-on technology, and eye examination services. The €9.3M October 2024 funding from Vinci Da Gama Fund targets European expansion, laboratory development, and franchise network growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soczewkomaty: Contact lens vending machines offering 24/7 availability
• Kodano Max
• #bioview
• AquaView
• FitView
• Clean Active

Products and services

• Contact Lenses (Soczewki kontaktowe)
• Prescription Eyeglasses (Okulary korekcyjne)
• Sunglasses (Okulary przeciwsłoneczne)
• Eye Examination Services (Badanie wzroku)
• Kodano Max Subscription Program
• KODANO Optyk Franchise Program (Franczyza)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AlconcoreOthersAlcon is a key supplier of contact lenses sold through Kodano.pl, including products like Dailies Total 1, Dailies AquaComfort Plus, Precision 1-Day, and Air Optix brands. Regular promotional partnerships and brand banner placements on the website.
• Johnson & Johnson (ACUVUE)coreOthersJohnson & Johnson is a primary supplier of ACUVUE contact lenses sold on Kodano.pl, including ACUVUE OASYS, 1-DAY MOIST, and TruEye product lines. Featured prominently in brand sections and promotional banners.
• Bausch & LombcoreOthersBausch & Lomb supplies products like Biotrue ONEday, SofLens, PureVision, and ULTRA contact lenses. Featured supplier with dedicated brand sections on kodano.pl.
• CooperVisioncoreOthersCooperVision supplies products including Biofinity, Proclear, MyDay, Clariti, and Biomedics contact lenses. Regular brand presence on Kodano.pl.
• Franchise PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent entrepreneurs operating retail optical stores under the Kodano brand through franchise model. The franchisingkodano.pl website indicates an active franchise program with store locations throughout Poland.
• Premium Fashion Brands (Ray-Ban, Gucci, Versace, etc.)minorOthersPremium eyewear brands including Ray-Ban, Vogue, Guess, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Versace, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, and others sold through Kodano.pl. These are brand licensing/reseller partnerships for designer frames.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mister Spex: Berlin-based online optical retailer combining e-commerce with brick-and-mortar stores across Europe, selling contact lenses, prescription glasses, and sunglasses from multiple brands — closely matching Kodano's omnichannel optical retail model and its European expansion thesis.
• SmartBuyGlasses: Global online optical retailer offering prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and contact lenses with a broad multi-brand assortment — directly comparable to Kodano's e-commerce catalog and price-led positioning.
• Ace & Tate: Amsterdam-headquartered DTC eyewear brand with own-label frames sold through own stores and online across Europe — comparable to Kodano as a digitally-led European optical retailer building own-brand products alongside third-party brands.
• GlassesUSA.com: Large US online optical retailer selling prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses with virtual try-on — directly comparable to Kodano's DTC e-commerce optical model, virtual try-on, and promotional pricing strategy.
• 1-800-Contacts: US-based leading online contact lens retailer carrying all major brands (Alcon, J&J, B&L, CooperVision) — a direct peer for Kodano's contact lens e-commerce business and supplier relationships.
• Warby Parker: US DTC eyewear brand combining e-commerce, mobile app, virtual try-on, and physical retail stores with strong own-brand positioning — analogous to Kodano's hybrid online/offline model and own-brand strategy.
• Clearly: Canada-based online optical retailer (formerly Clearly Contacts) selling contact lenses and eyewear from major brands — directly comparable to Kodano's contact lens e-commerce and virtual try-on features.
• EyeBuyDirect: Global online optical retailer focused on affordable prescription eyewear and sunglasses — directly comparable to Kodano on value-priced e-commerce optical assortment and aggressive promotional pricing.

Emerging players

• Lenskart: India-headquartered online-to-offline optical retailer rapidly expanding internationally with own-brand frames, mobile app, and tech-enabled stores — a comparable emerging omnichannel optical disruptor with similar own-brand and franchise-adjacent expansion strategies.

Broad incumbents

• Fielmann: Europe's largest optical retailer with a broad multi-country store network selling glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses — a broad incumbent in the same category as Kodano but at much larger scale and geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Kodano Group