What Écouter Voir does

Écouter Voir is a French mutualist retail network specializing in optical and hearing care, operating under the dual banners Écouter Voir Optique Mutualiste and Écouter Voir Audition Mutualiste. The company runs 100+ physical stores across all 12 metropolitan regions of France, staffed by qualified opticians and audiologists, and serves general consumers seeking prescription glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, blue-light protective lenses, paediatric eyewear, and hearing aids. A distinguishing feature is its integration with the French 100% Santé reform and the tiers payant (third-party payment) system with mutuelles, which allows eligible patients to receive optical and hearing solutions at no out-of-pocket cost.

The product portfolio combines regulated 100% Santé lines with premium and own-brand offerings: Juste (Origine France Garantie-certified bio-acetate sunglasses), J.Solaire (recycled-material sunglasses), Les Bien Vues and Les Bien Vues Enfants (eco-friendly complementary eyewear starting from €22), and Libre hearing aids. Supporting services include free hearing assessments and trial programmes, flexible installment payments, a referral (parrainage) programme, and a Doctolib-integrated appointment booking system. The philanthropic Fondation Écouter Voir, established 25 April 2013 and hosted by the public-utility Fondation de l'Avenir, funds applied research in vision and hearing health and runs an annual Challenge Solidaire.

Revenue is generated through unit-priced retail sales of optical hardware, contact lenses, and hearing aids, supplemented by service fees for fittings, adjustments, and follow-up care, with third-party billing handled directly through mutual insurance partners. Écouter Voir is privately held within the French mutualist/health-insurance framework, headquartered in Paris, and reports a headcount of 251–500 employees. The corporate parent is the nonprofit Fondation de l'Avenir, and governance is oriented toward mutualist values rather than external shareholder return; no revenue, funding rounds, or M&A activity have been disclosed.

Name

Écouter Voir

Legal name

Écouter Voir | Optique & Audition Mutualistes

Website

https://ecoutervoir.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Écouter Voir is a French mutualist retail network operating 100+ optical and hearing-aid stores nationwide, selling prescription glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, and own-brand eyewear under the 100% Santé framework with tiers payant billing to mutuelles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical and Hearing Retail

NAICS

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

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Hearing aid services
• Prescription eyewear
• Contact lens sales
• Mutualist healthcare retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Optical Retail Sales: Sale of prescription glasses, sunglasses, frames, and lenses through physical retail stores. Revenue generated from direct purchases by consumers, with significant coverage through the French 100% Santé programme and mutual insurance third-party payment (tiers payant)
2. Hearing Aid Sales and Services: Sale of hearing aids and associated services including free trials, fitting, adjustment, and follow-up care. Revenue from device sales with 100% Santé coverage for eligible patients
3. Contact Lenses: Sale of contact lenses and related products through retail locations
4. Third-Party Payment Services: Administrative services related to tiers payant (third-party payment) where Écouter Voir directly bills mutual insurance companies, simplifying the payment process for patients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Écouter Voir operates a mutualist retail network in France selling prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids through over 100 physical stores across all French regions. The company offers 100% Santé covered optical and hearing solutions, third-party payment (tiers payant) through mutual insurance partnerships, free hearing assessments and trials, and exclusive own-brand product lines (Juste, Les Bien Vues, J.Solaire).

Product overview

Écouter Voir is a French optical and hearing retail network (Optique & Audition Mutualistes) operating under mutualist/health insurance values. The core offering consists of prescription glasses (Lunettes de vue), sunglasses (Lunettes de soleil), contact lenses (Lentilles), and hearing aids (Aides auditives) across physical store locations throughout France. The portfolio includes exclusive sub-brands Juste (certified French-made sunglasses in bio acetate) and Les Bien Vues (eco-friendly complementary eyewear), plus the J.Solaire collection. Additional offerings include blue light protection treatments, flexible payment solutions, mobile services (Écouter Voir Mobile), and the philanthropic Fondation Écouter Voir supporting research in vision and hearing health. The company operates primarily through a physical retail network supplemented by online appointment booking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Juste: Exclusive sunglasses collection certified Origine France Garantie in bio acetate, proposed by Écouter Voir, supporting local production and environment
• Les Bien Vues
• J.Solaire
• Écouter Voir Mobile
• Libre

Products and services

• Prescription Glasses (Lunettes de vue) Prescription eyeglasses for vision correction, available in a wide range of frames for men, women, and children starting from €30 under the 100% Santé framework. Sold through physical retail stores to individual consumers.
• Sunglasses (Lunettes de soleil) Sunglasses combining style and performance for effective eye protection against the sun. Includes exclusive collections under the Juste and J.Solaire sub-brands.
• Contact Lenses (Lentilles de contact) Contact lenses for vision correction as an alternative to prescription glasses, sold through retail locations.
• Hearing Aids (Aides auditives) Hearing aids and assistive listening devices provided by hearing specialists (audioprothésistes) with personalized fitting, free trials, follow-up programmes, and after-sales service. Covered by 100% Santé reform for eligible patients.
• Juste Sunglasses Collection Exclusive sunglass collection certified Origine France Garantie in bio acetate, featuring solar lenses also labeled Origine France Garantie. Represents ethical style at competitive prices.
• Les Bien Vues Eyewear Complementary eyewear line starting from €22 for unifocal and €52 for progressive lenses, manufactured from environmentally-friendly materials. Designed as a second pair option for various activities, valid within 3 months of purchasing the main pair.
• Les Bien Vues Enfants Children's eyewear programme for children's visual health, myopia prevention, and dedicated children's eyewear including prescription glasses for various ages.
• Écouter Voir Mobile Service Mobile application and service enabling customers to manage appointments, access optical and hearing services, and receive personalized care on the go.
• Fondation Écouter Voir Foundation created on April 25, 2013 under the umbrella of Fondation de l'Avenir, supporting research in visual and hearing health, promoting accessible care, and funding innovative projects in optics and audiology through research grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Individual stores achieve ratings of 4.3-4.9 stars with some stores having over 1000 customer reviews, indicating high customer satisfaction
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fondation de l'Avenir (Fondation de l'Avenir pour la Recherche Médicale Appliquée)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2013La Fondation Écouter Voir was created on April 25, 2013 and is hosted by the Fondation de l'Avenir. The Fondation de l'Avenir is recognised as being of public utility since 1988 and supports practical medical research applications. This partnership enables Écouter Voir to fund research projects in vision and hearing health.
• DoctolibcoreTechnology or IntegrationDoctolib integration allows customers to book appointments online at Écouter Voir optical and hearing stores. This partnership provides a seamless digital booking experience for patients seeking consultations.
• Mutual Insurance Companies (Mutuelles)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorÉcouter Voir operates under the mutualist model, directly billing mutual insurance companies through the tiers payant system. This enables patients to receive 100% Santé covered optical and hearing solutions without upfront payment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Optical Center: Optical Center is a major French discount optical chain with national presence and aggressive pricing strategy. Competes with Écouter Voir on price-sensitive optical customers but with a different value proposition (discount vs. mutualist/100% Santé).
• Audika: Audika is France's leading dedicated hearing aid retail network, owned by Demant, operating hundreds of centres across France. Comparable to Écouter Voir's Audition Mutualiste vertical on hearing aid sales, fitting services, and 100% Santé reimbursement workflows.
• Alain Afflelou: Afflelou is one of France's largest optical retail chains with national store coverage, franchise model, and broad frame assortment. Comparable to Écouter Voir on store count, product mix (prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses), and French retail optical market positioning, though it is more commercial/marketing-led.
• Krys Group: Krys is the largest French mutualist optical retail network with ~600 stores, sharing the same mutualist governance structure, 100% Santé focus, and tiers payant billing model as Écouter Voir. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping mission, customer segments, and regulatory positioning.
• Atol: Atol is a French optical cooperative with several hundred affiliated stores, similar mutual-adjacent structure to Écouter Voir. Overlaps on customer base, product offering, and regional French coverage.

Regional players

• Specsavers: Specsavers is a UK-headquartered optical and hearing retail chain that has expanded into France through partnership/franchise models. Comparable retail optical proposition and 100% Santé-aware positioning in French market but originates from UK with different brand identity.
• Hans Anders: Hans Anders is a Dutch optical retail chain with selective presence in France and a value-pricing proposition. Comparable optical retail offering but primarily Benelux-based with less French regulatory integration than Écouter Voir.

Broad incumbents

• Générale d'Optique: Générale d'Optique is the mass-market optical banner of EssilorLuxottica (formerly GrandVision), one of Europe's largest optical retail groups. Comparable to Écouter Voir on retail optical offering but operates at much larger scale with broader product portfolio and supplier advantages.
• Amplifon: Amplifon is a global hearing care retail leader with significant French operations through direct centres and partnerships. Comparable to Écouter Voir's Audition Mutualiste on hearing aid distribution and fitting services, but operates globally with broader product portfolio.

Emerging players

• Polette: Polette is a French direct-to-consumer online eyewear brand targeting price-sensitive and style-conscious consumers. Represents the emerging digital competitive threat to Écouter Voir's physical-store model, with lower overheads and growing share of online optical purchasing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EcouterVoir
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecoutervoir.officiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecouter-voir
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecoutervoir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Écouter Voir