What Now Optics does

Now Optics, operating as Stanton Optical, is a vertically integrated U.S. eye care and eyewear retailer founded in 2006 by Daniel Stanton and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. The company operates over 300 company-owned and franchise optical retail locations across 33 states, offering prescription eyewear, telehealth-enabled eye exams conducted by independent doctors affiliated with Physicians Eyecare Group, and same-day glasses (single-vision completed in as fast as 30 minutes). Approximately 90% of products sold are the company's own proprietary brands (16 exclusive labels including Respec, Aura, Impression, Elements, and Y13), designed in Delray Beach and manufactured through a flexible, no-minimum supply chain. The flagship consumer offer is two pairs of glasses for $79 inclusive of a free eye exam.

The company runs a proprietary cloud-based SaaS platform called Iris, built on Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft Fabric, which unifies EHR, scheduling, telehealth, point-of-sale, inventory, lab integration, and omnichannel commerce across all store locations. Iris is licensed to third-party optical businesses, and the company also offers staff augmentation (virtual clinical staff, call agents, retail specialists) and 16 private-label eyewear brands to other optical retailers. A pilot store-in-store partnership with Staples launched in February 2026 places Stanton Optical shops inside select Staples retail locations in the Philadelphia market.

Now Optics generates revenue primarily through one-time optical retail transactions (frames and lenses), with secondary recurring revenue from Iris SaaS licensing, professional services from staff augmentation, and B2B eyewear brand wholesale. The company has been fully bootstrapped with no outside institutional investment and is described as the largest founder-owned and operated optical retailer in the U.S. It is ranked #13 in Vision Monday's Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers, holds HIPAA and CCPA compliance, and has performed over 4 million telehealth-enabled eye exams since 2016.

Name

Now Optics

Legal name

Now Optics, LLC

Website

https://nowoptics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Now Optics is a vertically integrated U.S. optical retailer operating 300+ Stanton Optical stores across 33 states, offering affordable prescription eyewear ($79 for two pairs) with same-day delivery and telehealth-enabled eye exams to mass-market consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Retail and Vision Care Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Prescription eyewear sales
• Telehealth eye exams
• Vision care technology
• Eye care staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Optical Retail: Sale of prescription eyewear, frames, and lenses through Stanton Optical's 300+ retail locations and e-commerce platform. 90% of products sold are the company's own proprietary brands. Revenue is generated on a per-transaction basis with same-day glasses delivery driving premium pricing and customer conversion.
2. Eye Exam Services: Revenue from comprehensive and telehealth-enabled eye exams conducted by independent doctors affiliated with Physicians Eyecare Group at Stanton Optical locations. Exams are offered free as a customer acquisition driver, with revenue generated through eyewear sales following the exam.
3. SaaS Platform Licensing (Iris): Licensing of the proprietary Iris cloud-based eye care management platform to other eye care businesses. The platform automates scheduling, telehealth, exam delivery, inventory, and billing for optical retailers.
4. Staff Augmentation Services: Provision of trained and qualified eye care personnel — including virtual clinical staff (eye doctors, opticians, technicians), call agents, store support agents, and virtual retail specialists — to optical businesses on a contracted basis.
5. Eyewear Brand Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of proprietary eyeglass brands (e.g., Respec, Aura, Centennial, Claire, Coast, Milan, Elite, Empire, Leo, Christian Of Paris, Caval, Carter, Swiss, Impression, Elements, Y13) for sale through Stanton Optical and potentially to other optical retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Now Optics operates a vertically integrated optical retail and vision care business anchored by its flagship Stanton Optical brand with 300+ retail locations across 33 U.S. states offering affordable prescription eyewear and eye exams. The company supports its retail operations with same-day in-house lens lab production, telehealth-enabled eye exams in partnership with Physicians Eyecare Group, and a portfolio of 16 exclusive proprietary eyewear brands representing 90% of products sold. It also licenses its Iris cloud-based SaaS platform and provides staff augmentation services to other optical businesses.

Product overview

Now Optics is a vertically-integrated, omnichannel vision care company offering a multi-product portfolio. Its flagship retail brand Stanton Optical operates 300+ locations providing same-day glasses and eye exams; this is supported by the IRIS proprietary SaaS platform for cloud-based eye care business management (scheduling, telehealth, POS, ecommerce). The company designs and manufactures exclusive eyewear brands (16 brands including Elements, Impression, Elite, Empire, and more) for its retail operations. Business solutions include Optical & Telehealth services, Eyewear Brands licensing, and Staff Augmentation. Clinical services are delivered through partnership with Physicians Eyecare Group. Internally, the company runs Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and Azure for operations across its retail, clinical, and technology divisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Respec: Exclusive eyewear brand designed in Delray Beach, FL
• Aura
• Centennial
• Claire
• Coast
• Milan
• Elite
• Empire
• Leo
• Christian Of Paris
• Caval
• Carter
• Swiss
• Impression
• Elements
• Y13
• Iris

Products and services

• Stanton Optical Retail Optical Stores Flagship retail brand of Now Optics operating over 300 company-owned and franchise optical retail locations across 33 U.S. states, offering same-day glasses (single-vision ready in as little as 30 minutes), telehealth-enabled eye exams by affiliated doctors, and more than 1,000 frame options per location.
• Iris SaaS Platform Proprietary cloud-based SaaS platform licensed to other eye care businesses that streamlines the full patient journey from scheduling and telehealth-enabled eye exams to on-site exam delivery and eyewear pickup. Includes unified POS and ecommerce, EHR and telehealth integration, omnichannel patient experience, clinical scheduling, inventory management, lab integration, and billing, all running on Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Optical and Telehealth Services (B2B) Business-to-business solution offering telehealth-enabled professional eyecare services and same-day glasses delivery through a vertically-integrated model, enabling optical businesses to connect with licensed remote doctors for ocular telehealth examinations.
• Staff Augmentation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4 million telehealth-enabled eye exams performed since 2016
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StaplescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 February 2026Now Optics and Staples launched a pilot partnership placing four Stanton Optical store-in-store locations inside Staples stores in the Philadelphia area (including Wayne, PA) in February 2026. The partnership is designed to bring affordable, convenient eye care and eyewear directly to consumers where they already shop. Each location offers free eye exams and prescription eyewear production. The initial pilot is the first step in what could become a broader rollout across Staples' nearly 1,000 U.S. store locations.
• Physicians Eyecare GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Physicians Eyecare Group, whose affiliated independent eye doctors conduct eye exams at Stanton Optical locations. Over 4 million telehealth-enabled eye exams have been performed since 2016 through this partnership. The partnership was expanded to include advanced clinical services at 35 locations, including dry eye therapy, retinal imaging (OCT), and keratography diagnostics. The doctors use the Iris platform to deliver ocular telehealth examinations where a remote medical doctor takes diagnostic data and builds the customer's vision plan.
• AvantiicocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMicrosoft partner Avantiico led a multiphase enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformation for Now Optics, implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Finance, Supply Chain Management), Microsoft Fabric, and Microsoft Power BI across over 300 store locations and the company's distribution center. The 18-month project unified Now Optics' point-of-sale, inventory, and finance systems. Avantiico used its Advance Multi-Company Solution to accelerate data migration and incorporated Now Optics' payroll and expense management solutions. Avantiico is described as feeling 'like a team member, not just a partner.'
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationNow Optics runs its operations on Microsoft technology including Azure cloud infrastructure, Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Finance, Supply Chain Management), Microsoft Fabric for data integration, and Power BI for business intelligence. The company is also exploring Microsoft 365 Copilot for AI-driven automation. The technology stack supports the company's omnichannel operations across 300+ stores and enables real-time data insights for strategic planning and growth.
• CharityVisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNow Optics partners with CharityVision, an international charitable organization dedicated to restoring sight. For over five years, Now Optics has been CharityVision's most consistent and largest frame donor, sending thousands of donated eyeglass frames to their distribution center in Utah. Volunteers sort and prepare frames for delivery to schools, shelters, and underserved communities worldwide. To date, over 600,000 frames have been donated, transforming lives through the gift of sight.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Warby Parker: Direct-to-consumer optical retailer offering prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and eye exams at value-to-mid-tier price points. Closely comparable to Stanton Optical in customer base and value-tier positioning; ranked just ahead of Stanton at #10 on Vision Monday's Top 50 vs. Stanton at #13.
• National Vision Holdings: Public optical retailer operating America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Eyeglass World, and Vista Optical chains. Directly comparable to Now Optics through high-volume, value-oriented optical stores offering exams and eyewear at low price points.
• Zenni Optical: Online-only prescription eyewear retailer known for ultra-low price points starting around $7. Directly comparable to Stanton Optical's value-tier price positioning but competes without a physical store or in-person exam footprint.

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica: Global eyewear and vision care conglomerate owning LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical, Sunglass Hut, and a portfolio of licensed brands (Ray-Ban, Oakley). Comparable as a vertically integrated optical retail and brand operator with far greater scale and brand breadth.
• LensCrafters: National optical retail chain owned by EssilorLuxottica, offering prescription eyewear, contact lenses, and in-store eye exams. Comparable as a large-footprint U.S. optical retailer with doctor-affiliated locations; operates at premium-to-mid price points versus Stanton Optical's value positioning.
• Pearle Vision: U.S. franchise optical retailer owned by EssilorLuxottica, with neighborhood locations offering eye exams and prescription eyewear. Comparable franchise model and doctor-affiliated exam approach to Stanton Optical's franchise locations.

Emerging players

• EyeBuyDirect: Online prescription eyewear retailer targeting the value-conscious consumer, owned by EssilorLuxottica. Competes with Stanton Optical on price in the online channel and represents the digital alternative to the in-store exam-and-purchase flow.
• Costco Optical: In-store optical departments inside Costco warehouses offering eye exams and low-priced prescription eyewear. Comparable to Stanton Optical on value-tier pricing and store-within-retail distribution; represents a partial channel and pricing overlap.

Regional players

• 1-800 Contacts: Largest online contact lens retailer in the U.S., now part of Kontoor Brands (formerly owned by ABB Optical Group and others). Comparable as a value-focused vision care e-commerce business; overlaps with Stanton Optical's contact lens offering and online ordering flow.

Others

• RevolutionEHR (by Health Care Systems, Inc.): Cloud-based optometry-specific EHR and practice management platform used by independent eye care practices. Comparable to Now Optics' Iris platform as purpose-built optical SaaS; competes for the same third-party optical business customers that Now Optics targets via Iris licensing.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/now-optics

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Now Optics