IcareLabs
IcareLabs is a third-generation, family-owned wholesale optical laboratory in St. Petersburg, Florida, founded in 1968. The company processes prescription lenses, anti-reflective coatings, and specialty eyewear for eye care professionals, offering in-house processing of major brands alongside proprietary house-brand alternatives.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersSt. Petersburg, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What IcareLabs does
IcareLabs is a third-generation, family-owned wholesale optical laboratory headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, founded in 1968 by John W. Payne. The company serves eye care professionals (ECPs) — opticians, optometrists, and optical dispensaries — as its sole customer segment, processing prescription lenses, anti-reflective coatings, photochromics, polarized, blue-light, and specialty lenses on a transaction-fee basis. Operating from a single facility in the Southeast U.S., IcareLabs employs 101-250 people and is currently led by third-generation Payne family members Danny Payne (President) and James Payne (Vice President), with Skip Payne (second generation) inducted into The Vision Council Lab Division Hall of Fame in 2019.
The company's technical core is a state-of-the-art digital surfacing laboratory that performs in-house processing of the full Varilux and Crizal product lines (Essilor), alongside Kodak, Shamir, Transitions, Hoya, Seiko, and Sola branded lenses, as well as proprietary house-brand alternatives including Heritage progressive lenses, Legacy G3 Ultimate, IceAR anti-reflective coating, and BlueGuard blue-light lenses. Differentiated capability includes lens compensation technology that recalculates prescriptions based on real-world wearing parameters (pantoscopic tilt, vertex distance, frame geometry, pupillary measurements). The portfolio also extends to the SeaVision prescription dive mask line (launched 2024) and pediatric frame kits through family-owned vendor partnerships.
IcareLabs generates revenue through transaction-based wholesale pricing with an "always fair, always flat" structure — no volume requirements or contracts — supplemented by self-serve prepaid and credit account options. The go-to-market combines a 24/7 online ordering portal (myIcareLabs.com), inside sales at (855) 272-4407, and account management support, with new account acquisition driven by content marketing, an email newsletter (IcareNEWS), organic social, and referrals. The company claims new accounts can reduce lab bills by up to 20% and reports a customer service team operating with a 98% answer rate goal, positioning on value, brand breadth, and service rather than on scale or technology leadership.
IcareLabs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IcareLabs
- Legal name
- IcareLabs
- Website
- https://icarelabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- IcareLabs is a third-generation, family-owned wholesale optical laboratory in St. Petersburg, Florida, founded in 1968. The company processes prescription lenses, anti-reflective coatings, and specialty eyewear for eye care professionals, offering in-house processing of major brands alongside proprietary house-brand alternatives.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IcareLabs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Optical Laboratory / Prescription Lens Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD)
Keywords
Where IcareLabs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. Petersburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
IcareLabs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale Optical Lab Services: Primary revenue from processing and manufacturing prescription lenses (progressive, single vision, bifocal), anti-reflective coatings, photochromic lenses, and specialty eyewear for eye care professionals. Customers include opticians, optometrists, and optical dispensaries who submit prescriptions for processing.
- Lens Processing and Coating Services: Revenue generated from surfacing, coating, and finishing optical lenses. Processing fees vary by lens type, brand, material, and add-on features. The company processes major branded products (Varilux, Kodak, Shamir, Transitions) as well as their own house brands.
- SeaVision Rx Dive Masks: Sale of prescription dive masks to eye care professionals who resell to patients. Separate product line targeting aquatic optical needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Flat Pricing - No tiered structure |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Price List Access |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
IcareLabs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IcareLabs is a wholesale optical laboratory that fabricates prescription lenses, including progressive, single vision, and bifocal designs, applies anti-reflective and photochromic coatings, and produces specialty eyewear. The lab serves eyecare professionals (opticians, optometrists, and optical dispensaries) with custom lens processing and finishing services to prescription specifications.
Product overview
IcareLabs is a family-operated wholesale optical laboratory established in 1968, offering a comprehensive range of lens processing and manufacturing services. The company operates as a certified digital processing lab that crafts nearly all major branded lenses in-house, organized around a 3-tier pricing system (good/better/best). Their product portfolio includes: house-brand lenses (Heritage Progressive, Legacy G3 Ultimate, IceAR, BlueGuard) providing value pricing alternatives to premium brands; branded progressive lenses (Varilux, Kodak, Shamir, Seiko, Essilor, Hoya, Sola); anti-reflective coatings (Crizal Sapphire 360, Prevencia, Natural Look, Kodak CleAR, IceAR); photochromic lenses (Transitions Gen 8, Signature 7, XTRActive, Vantage, Drivewear, PhotoFusion, LifeRx); blue light protection (Essential Blue, BluTech, Crizal Prevencia, Kodak Total Blue); polarized lenses (NuPolar, KBco, Xperio UV); single vision/occupational lenses (Eyezen family); and specialty products (SeaVision Prescription Dive Masks, pediatric frames). Services include 24/7 online ordering via myIcareLabs.com portal, in-house digital surfacing, point-of-purchase materials, and customer account management. The lab is led by 3rd generation Payne family members and processes the full Varilux and Crizal product lines in-house.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SeaVision: Prescription dive mask brand under IcareLabs, offering color-correcting lenses and Rx dive masks for scuba diving and snorkeling.
- Heritage
- IceAR
Quantifiable outcome
- New accounts lower their lab bill by as much as 20%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use IcareLabs
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
IcareLabs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
IcareLabs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.
- Eye Q, Modern Optical, VisualEyes (Pediatric Frame Vendors)secondaryIcareLabs has partnered with multiple family-owned frame vendors to offer pediatric frames and frame kits. Vendors include Eye Q, Modern Optical, and VisualEyes, providing styles for infants through tweens.
- Essilor (Varilux, Crizal)coreIcareLabs is a certified digital processing wholesale optical lab for Essilor products including Varilux progressive lenses and Crizal anti-reflective coatings. The company processes the full line of Varilux and Crizal products in-house, enabling one-stop-shop capability for these premium brands.
- Kodak LenscoreAuthorized processor for Kodak progressive lenses and associated coatings (Kodak CleAR, Clean n CleAR). Kodak Lens portfolio includes single vision, progressive, and specialty lenses available through IcareLabs.
- ShamircoreIcareLabs processes Shamir lenses including Autograph Intelligence, Autograph 2, and occupational lenses (Office 2, Computer, Workspace). Shamir products offer advanced progressive lens technology with fixed and variable corridor options.
- Transitions OpticalcoreCertified processor for Transitions photochromic lenses including Generation 8, XTRActive, Vantage, and Drivewear. Transitions lenses provide adaptive light control with UV and blue light protection.
- HoyasecondaryIcareLabs offers Hoya lens products including Tact 40/60 Bks occupational lens and associated POP materials. Hoya supplies specialty glass and plastic lenses for various vision correction needs.
- SeikosecondarySeiko lenses available through IcareLabs with point-of-purchase materials. Seiko offers premium progressive lenses with advanced digital surfacing technology.
- SeaVision (Subsidiary Brand)coreIcareLabs is home to SeaVision prescription dive masks - a specialized product line for underwater vision correction. SeaVision offers color-correcting lenses for scuba diving and snorkeling. Contact: [email protected], (800) 732-6275.
- Younger Optics (NuPolar)secondaryIcareLabs offers Younger Optics products including NuPolar polarized lenses. Younger Optics specializes in polarized and other specialty lens technologies.
- KBcosecondaryKBco polarized lenses available through IcareLabs with countertop display POP materials. KBco offers polarized lens technology for reduced glare and enhanced visual comfort.
- BluTech LensessecondaryBluTech lenses with blue light protection available through IcareLabs. BluTech technology provides protective filtering for harmful blue light exposure.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
IcareLabs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Optical Prescription Lab (OPL): Optical Prescription Lab is a U.S. independent wholesale optical laboratory providing digital surfacing, AR coating, and premium lens processing to ECPs. It competes head-to-head with IcareLabs for independent optometry and optical practice accounts.
- McLeod Optical: McLeod Optical is an independent wholesale optical laboratory offering prescription lens processing and coatings to eye care professionals in the U.S. It is a smaller-scale but directly comparable peer in business model, customer base, and product mix.
- Walman Optical: Walman Optical is one of the largest independent wholesale optical laboratories in the U.S., offering prescription lens surfacing, finishing, and coatings to eye care professionals. It is the most directly comparable peer to IcareLabs in business model, customer base, and product breadth, though it operates at significantly greater scale and multi-site national footprint.
- Younger Optics: Younger Optics is a specialty lens manufacturer (NuPolar polarized, photochromics) that supplies IcareLabs and competes at the wholesale lab tier with its own branded products. Overlap with IcareLabs in polarized and specialty lens offerings makes it a relevant peer.
- Cherry Optical Lab: Cherry Optical Lab is an independent wholesale optical laboratory offering digital lens surfacing, freeform progressives, and AR coatings to ECPs. Like IcareLabs, it is a mid-sized independent competing on service, turnaround, and value — making it a closely matched peer in segment and GTM.
- Vision-Ease Lens: Vision-Ease (now part of Aoyama Optical) is a lens manufacturer serving wholesale labs and ECPs with photochromic, polarized, and polycarbonate lens products. It competes in similar branded lens categories that IcareLabs processes and resells.
Broad incumbents
- Shamir Optical Industry: Shamir is a global progressive and freeform lens manufacturer whose branded products IcareLabs processes in-house. As a supplier/partner and as a premium lens technology provider, Shamir is a broad incumbent peer competing for the same ECP prescription volume.
- Carl Zeiss Vision: Carl Zeiss Vision is a global premium lens manufacturer with U.S. lab operations processing branded lenses for ECPs. It competes with IcareLabs at the high-end progressive and specialty lens segment and represents the broad-incumbent side of the wholesale optical lab market.
- HOYA Vision Care: HOYA Vision Care is a global lens and optical equipment manufacturer that also operates wholesale lab and processing capabilities. It is both a supplier/partner to IcareLabs (Hoya lenses are processed there) and a broad incumbent competitor in lens technology and lab services.
- Essilor (EssilorLuxottica): Essilor, now part of EssilorLuxottica, is the world's largest lens manufacturer and operates a global network of wholesale optical labs. It is simultaneously IcareLabs' largest supplier (Varilux, Crizal, Transitions) and the broadest incumbent competitor in lens processing and lab services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
IcareLabs social profiles
Digital presenceIcareLabs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IcareLabs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
IcareLabs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
IcareLabs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IcareLabs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IcareLabs
What does IcareLabs do?
IcareLabs is a wholesale optical laboratory that fabricates prescription lenses, including progressive, single vision, and bifocal designs, applies anti-reflective and photochromic coatings, and produces specialty eyewear. The lab serves eyecare professionals (opticians, optometrists, and optical dispensaries) with custom lens processing and finishing services to prescription specifications.
Is IcareLabs a public or private company?
IcareLabs is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was IcareLabs founded?
IcareLabs was founded in 1968. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is IcareLabs based?
IcareLabs is headquartered in St. Petersburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does IcareLabs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Optical Lab Services are the primary driver. The others are lens Processing and Coating Services and seaVision Rx Dive Masks.
Who are IcareLabs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Optical Prescription Lab (OPL), McLeod Optical, Walman Optical, Younger Optics, Cherry Optical Lab and Vision-Ease Lens. Broad incumbents are Shamir Optical Industry, Carl Zeiss Vision, HOYA Vision Care and Essilor (EssilorLuxottica).
Does IcareLabs have an API?
No public API is recorded for IcareLabs.
What industry is IcareLabs in?
IcareLabs's product category is Wholesale Optical Laboratory / Prescription Lens Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAJAD, Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment). Its NAICS code is 339115 and its SIC code is 3851.