Kaleos
Kaleos is a Barcelona-based, privately held designer eyewear brand that handcrafts sunglasses, prescription glasses, and accessories for women, men, and children, selling globally through its DTC e-commerce site and a wholesale network of independent optical retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Kaleos does
Kaleos is a Barcelona-based, privately held contemporary eyewear design house founded in 2013 that designs, manufactures, and sells sunglasses, prescription glasses, and small accessories (chains and tote bags). Frames are handcrafted using acetate, metal, titanium, and resin, with the brand emphasizing proportions, structural lightness, and a contemporary reinterpretation of classical references. The product range spans women's, men's, and children's lines and includes photochromic, polarized, and mineral lens options across more than 20 frame shapes.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: direct-to-consumer sales through its owned e-commerce storefront at kaleoscollection.com (with global shipping to ~150+ countries, EUR and USD pricing, and multiple payment methods including Klarna, Apple Pay, and Google Pay), and B2B wholesale to an international network of independent optical retailers and concept stores listed on its stockist page. Pricing sits in the mid-premium band at EUR 185-265 for sunglasses and EUR 25-35 for accessories, with a 3-year manufacturing warranty and free shipping/returns within Spain and Europe. Marketing is led through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, an email newsletter (offering a 5% first-order discount), and editorial seasonal campaign pages, with brand credibility reinforced through limited-edition collaborations with Arquitectura-G and Hey Studio, the Kaleos Shapes artist capsule platform, and the rimless Unframed capsule. The firm employs 11-50 people, is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, and shows no disclosed ownership, funding, or M&A activity in the available data.
Kaleos firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kaleos
- Legal name
- Kaleos
- Website
- https://kaleoscollection.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kaleos is a Barcelona-based, privately held designer eyewear brand that handcrafts sunglasses, prescription glasses, and accessories for women, men, and children, selling globally through its DTC e-commerce site and a wholesale network of independent optical retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kaleos industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Designer Eyewear
- NAICS
- Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Kids & Teen Eyewear (CRAAAKAE), Eyewear Accessories & Care (Cases, Cleaning, Chains) (CRAAAKAI)
Keywords
Where Kaleos is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kaleos business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through owned e-commerce platform with global shipping. Products include sunglasses, prescription glasses, and accessories sold at fixed price points in EUR.
- Wholesale to Stockists: B2B wholesale distribution to independent optical retailers and concept stores internationally. Products sold through the 'Stockist' page which lists partner optical locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sunglasses (Standard) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sunglasses (Premium) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Prescription Glasses |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Kaleos product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kaleos designs, produces, and sells contemporary handcrafted eyewear, including sunglasses, prescription glasses, and kids' eyewear, alongside eyewear accessories such as chains and tote bags. The brand sells directly through its own e-commerce storefront (kaleoscollection.com) with global shipping, and distributes wholesale through an international network of independent optical retailers and concept stores. Materials include acetate, metal, titanium, and resin, with lens options spanning photochromic, polarized, and mineral variants.
Product overview
Kaleos is a Barcelona-based contemporary eyewear design brand offering a unified portfolio of designer sunglasses and prescription glasses for women, men, and children. The core product line includes photochromic, polarized, and mineral lens options across diverse frame shapes (aviator, cat-eye, rectangular, round, geometric). The brand complements its eyewear with accessories (chains, tote bags) and extends its offering through limited-edition sub-brands including the Kaleos Shapes collection, Arquitectura-G x Kaleos collaborations, Hey Studio x Kaleos, and the Unframed rimless capsule. All frames are handmade with attention to detail, combining classical references with contemporary design approaches using materials like acetate, metal, titanium, and resin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sunglasses (Gafas de sol)
Companies that use Kaleos
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kaleos technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature1 record
Kaleos partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Arquitectura-GminorDesign collaboration on limited edition capsule collections. Products include Arquitectura-g x Kaleos/Acetato featuring acetate-based design collaborations.
- Hey StudiominorDesign studio collaboration for special project limited edition eyewear under the Hey studio x Kaleos partnership.
- Independent Optical Retailers (Stockists)coreWholesale distribution network of independent optical retailers and concept stores internationally that carry Kaleos products for resale. The stockist page enables customers to find local retailers carrying the brand.
Scale indicators2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kaleos competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Persol: Heritage Italian eyewear brand owned by EssilorLuxottica, selling premium handmade acetate sunglasses and optical frames globally. Competes with Kaleos in the design-led premium eyewear category but with vastly greater scale, brand recognition, and retail distribution.
- Oliver Peoples: Premium designer eyewear brand (Luxottica) known for handcrafted California-inspired acetate frames at $300–500 price points. Overlaps with Kaleos in acetate craftsmanship and independent optical retailer distribution, though at a higher price tier and with corporate backing.
Direct peers
- Garrett Leight California Optical: Independent designer eyewear brand founded in Venice, California, selling premium handmade acetate frames through DTC and select optical retailers. Comparable mid-premium price positioning, handcrafted construction, and boutique-stockist-led distribution model.
- Le Specs: Australian eyewear brand offering fashion sunglasses at accessible prices (~$30–100) with global distribution through department stores and specialty retailers. Competes for similar style-conscious consumers, though positioned at lower price points than Kaleos.
- Illesteva: New York-based independent eyewear brand selling fashion-forward acetate and metal frames in the same mid-premium price band. Direct competitor targeting style-conscious urban consumers through DTC and boutique retail.
- Warby Parker: US-based vertically integrated DTC eyewear brand selling prescription glasses and sunglasses at mid-market price points (~$95–145). Direct competitor in the contemporary eyewear category with similar value proposition of designer eyewear at accessible prices, though Kaleos sits at a slightly higher price tier.
- Karen Walker Eyewear: Designer-driven eyewear brand from New Zealand/Australia selling contemporary sunglasses and optical frames globally. Comparable fashion-led positioning, designer collaborations, and international stockist network.
- Sunday Somewhere: Independent Australian-founded eyewear brand known for round, contemporary frame designs at accessible premium price points. Overlaps with Kaleos in design-led indie positioning, fashion-forward aesthetics, and Instagram-driven DTC marketing.
- RetroSuperFuture: Italian independent eyewear brand selling design-forward sunglasses and optical frames with strong fashion positioning. Most directly comparable peer—similar indie premium positioning, Italian/European design heritage, designer collaborations, and DTC-plus-stockist distribution.
- Andy Wolf Eyewear: Austrian independent eyewear brand selling handmade acetate and metal frames with a contemporary, design-driven aesthetic. Comparable European indie positioning, handcrafted construction, and boutique optical retailer distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kaleos social profiles
Digital presenceKaleos financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kaleos leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kaleos funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kaleos 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 Kaleos
What does Kaleos do?
Kaleos designs, produces, and sells contemporary handcrafted eyewear, including sunglasses, prescription glasses, and kids' eyewear, alongside eyewear accessories such as chains and tote bags. The brand sells directly through its own e-commerce storefront (kaleoscollection.com) with global shipping, and distributes wholesale through an international network of independent optical retailers and concept stores. Materials include acetate, metal, titanium, and resin, with lens options spanning photochromic, polarized, and mineral variants.
Is Kaleos a public or private company?
Kaleos is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Kaleos founded?
Kaleos was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kaleos based?
Kaleos is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Kaleos make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale to Stockists.
Who are Kaleos's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Persol and Oliver Peoples. Direct peers are Garrett Leight California Optical, Le Specs, Illesteva, Warby Parker, Karen Walker Eyewear, Sunday Somewhere, RetroSuperFuture and Andy Wolf Eyewear.
Does Kaleos have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kaleos.
What industry is Kaleos in?
Kaleos's product category is Designer Eyewear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAKAB, Sunglasses (Non-Prescription), with a secondary code of CRAAAKAE, Kids & Teen Eyewear. Its NAICS code is 45613 and its SIC code is 3851.