What Sea2see does

Sea2see (legal entity: Sustainable Fashion Brands S.L, Barcelona, Spain) designs, manufactures, and sells premium sunglasses, optical frames, and Swiss-made watches whose cases and frames are built from UPSEA™, a proprietary upcycled marine plastic polymer created via chemical regeneration that breaks recovered marine plastic back to monomers and reproduces virgin-quality polymer. François van den Abeele founded the company in 2015 after observing plastic contamination in developing countries and the absence of sustainability in the optical sector. The company sources feedstock through an inclusive supply chain run via the wholly-owned Sea2see Foundation, involving fishing communities across Spain (27 ports), France (12 ports), Ghana (1,150+ people across 20 fishing regions), Senegal, and Madagascar, with 240,000 kg of marine plastic collected and recycled annually. Eyewear is 100% handmade in Italy under a 100% Made in Italy certification; watches are assembled in Switzerland.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining owned direct-to-consumer e-commerce (sea2see.org with global shipping), two owned retail stores (Barcelona flagship and Grenoble, France), and major wholesale optical chain partnerships — most prominently Synsam (500+ stores across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) and New Look Eyewear (hundreds of stores across Canada) since 2019, plus Optic 2000 in France. Pricing spans €110-€367.50 for sunglasses, €145-€265 for prescription optical frames, and €225-€255 for Swiss-made watches, positioning the brand at the premium sustainable tier. Customer segments span environmentally conscious consumers, luxury and fashion-forward buyers, water-sports enthusiasts, and a growing corporate/ESG segment accessed via partners such as XP Health. Co-branded collaborations with luxury and lifestyle names (Huntsman, Sotheby's, Vionnet, La Mer, MSC) and sports organizations (France Sail GP, Malizia, APP World Tour) function as both distribution and brand-equity vehicles.

The company has built a credentials stack that functions as a commercial moat in B2B and procurement contexts: B Corp (2020), Carbon Negative status (2021), Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification (2022 — first eyewear brand with marine plastic to achieve it), PETA-Approved Vegan label, Optic For Good label, and 100% Made in Italy certification. Product claims are substantiated by a Life Cycle Assessment reporting 87% less fossil fuel depletion, 79% lower global warming potential, 91% reduction in eutrophication potential, and 98% reduction in water scarcity impact versus virgin plastic production. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, indicating a capital-light operating model that relies on outsourced manufacturing and channel partners for scale.

Name

Sea2see

Legal name

Sustainable Fashion Brands S.L

Website

https://sea2see.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sea2see (Sustainable Fashion Brands S.L, Barcelona) designs and sells premium sunglasses, optical frames, and Swiss-made watches manufactured from its proprietary UPSEA™ upcycled marine plastic polymer, sold via DTC e-commerce, owned stores in Barcelona and Grenoble, and wholesale partners including Synsam and New Look Eyewear.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Eyewear Sales: Direct sales of sunglasses and optical frames made from recycled marine plastic. Products sold through owned e-commerce, retail stores, and wholesale partners including Synsam, New Look, and Optic 2000.
2. Watch Sales: Swiss-made watches with marine plastic cases and interchangeable rPET straps. Sold through same distribution channels as eyewear.
3. Co-branded and Licensing Products: Special edition co-branded products with partners including Huntsman, Sotheby's, Vionnet, La Mer, and sports organizations, generating revenue through premium pricing on limited editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sea2see designs, manufactures and sells premium sustainable eyewear (sunglasses and optical frames) handmade in Italy and Swiss-made watches, all constructed from 100% upcycled marine plastic collected by partner fishermen using its proprietary UPSEA™ polymer. The company distributes its products direct-to-consumer via its website and owned retail stores (Barcelona, Grenoble) and through wholesale partnerships with major optical retailers (Synsam, New Look, Optic 2000) across Europe and North America.

Product overview

Sea2see is a sustainable eyewear and watch brand that produces optical frames, sunglasses, and Swiss-made watches using 100% recycled marine plastic collected by fishermen. The product portfolio includes three core offerings: Sunglasses (with UV protection and polarized lens options across lifestyle, sports, and fashion styles), Optical Frames (prescription-ready frames in various shapes including Cat Eye, Round, and Square), and Watches (Swiss-made with marine plastic cases and sapphire crystals). The Breeze Collection represents a premium sub-brand featuring ultra-lightweight designs (9g) that combine recycled marine plastic frames with 90% recycled stainless steel temples. All products are handmade in Italy for eyewear and Switzerland for watches, with watch straps made from recycled PET bottles. The company also offers replacement watch straps as accessories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunglasses Eco-friendly sunglasses handcrafted in Italy from 100% recycled marine plastic, featuring UV 400 Cat 3 protection and Italian Polycarbonate lenses in lifestyle, sports, and fashion styles for environmentally conscious consumers.
• Optical Frames Prescription eyeglass frames crafted from 100% recycled marine plastic and 100% handmade in Italy, available in Cat Eye, Clip-on, Panthos/Round, Petit, and Square/Rectangular shapes for prescription lens wearers.
• Watches Swiss-made watches with cases made from 100% UPSEA recycled marine plastic, 100m/330ft (10 ATM) water resistance, anti-scratch sapphire crystal, and interchangeable rPET straps for consumers seeking sustainable timepieces.
• Watch Straps Swiss-made replacement watch straps made from rPET (recycled PET bottles) in multiple colors and styles including NATO, with fast-release pins for easy interchangeability on Sea2see watches.
• Sports Sunglasses Sport-specific sunglasses featuring ultra-light frames (25g), UV protection, polarized lens options, and water-resistant design for athletes and water sports participants.
• Breeze Collection Ultra-lightweight eyewear sub-brand with 9-gram frames combining 100% recovered marine plastic fronts with 90% recycled stainless steel temples, comprising nine designs (MISTRAL, GREGAL, AURORA, TRAMONTANA, ZEFIRO, SIROCCO, GARBI, ALISEO).
• 5 Oceans Sun Collection Special anniversary collection of unisex sunglasses with unique marine-inspired shading and wave effects representing tones from the five oceans, released in 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% less fossil fuel depletion compared to virgin plastic frame production
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bureo: Bureo is a sustainable eyewear and consumer products brand that makes sunglasses and skateboards from recycled fishing nets (NetPlus material). It is directly comparable to Sea2see as a values-driven, recycled-material eyewear brand selling through DTC and wholesale to sustainability-focused consumers.
• Proof Eyewear: Proof Eyewear is a sustainable eyewear brand producing sunglasses and optical frames from reclaimed wood, cotton-based acetate, and recycled materials. It is directly comparable to Sea2see in mission, premium sustainable positioning, and DTC-plus-wholesale GTM.
• Eco Eyewear: Eco Eyewear (formerly Re-Optics) makes Italian-designed eyewear from recycled and bio-based materials, sold DTC and through optical retailers in Europe. It competes head-to-head with Sea2see in the recycled-material, Italy-made, sustainable optical frame segment.
• Zeal Optics: Zeal Optics makes sunglasses and goggles from plant-based and recycled materials, with a strong sustainability and outdoor/sports positioning. It competes with Sea2see in the recycled-material, sports-and-lifestyle sunglass category and shares a similar DTC-plus-specialty wholesale model.

Emerging players

• Pela Vision: Pela Vision is the eyewear extension of Pela (known for compostable phone cases), offering frames made from bio-based and recycled materials. It overlaps with Sea2see in values-driven, sustainable eyewear but is at an earlier stage and is more DTC-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Warby Parker: Warby Parker is a major DTC and omnichannel eyewear brand offering affordable prescription frames and sunglasses. While not sustainability-led, it competes with Sea2see in DTC optical retail and increasingly in B2B vision benefits, the same channel where XP Health partners with Sea2see.
• Stella McCartney Eyewear: Stella McCartney, in partnership with Kering Eyewear, produces luxury sustainable eyewear. It competes with Sea2see for the same luxury, sustainability-conscious consumer and benefits from significantly larger brand and distribution scale.
• Safilo: Safilo is a global Italian eyewear manufacturer producing licensed and proprietary brands (including Polaroid, Carrera, Hugo). It is comparable to Sea2see as an Italy-based eyewear producer and as a wholesale partner/concurrent competitor in the premium optical frame market.

Others

• Plastic Bank: Plastic Bank builds collection networks for ocean-bound plastic and partners with consumer brands to incorporate Social Plastic into packaging and products. It is comparable to Sea2see via shared collection infrastructure and social-impact supply chains, but operates as a plastics-collection platform rather than a brand.

Regional players

• Blu Atlas: Blu Atlas is a sustainable DTC men's care and lifestyle brand using natural ingredients and recycled packaging. While not eyewear, it is comparable to Sea2see as a premium, mission-led, sustainability-first DTC consumer brand targeting a similar North American and European conscientious consumer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sea2see_eyewear

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Sea2see