Lov

What Lov does

Lov, operating under the legal entity LOV OPTOTECNICA S.R.L. and brand name Ottica LOV, is an Italian family-owned eyewear company founded in 1961 by Plinio Evangelista. The business operates as a vertically integrated optical enterprise, combining in-house ophthalmic lens manufacturing with a proprietary retail chain of five stores located in the Verona and Vicenza provinces of Italy's Veneto region. Since its founding, the company states it has produced over 35 million lenses, reflecting six decades of accumulated manufacturing experience.

The company's product portfolio spans prescription ophthalmic lenses, frames, sunglasses, and specialized optical solutions including myopia management, sports/sport-vision lenses, and blue-light/digital protection coatings. Its lens manufacturing capability covers the technical value chain — surfacing, anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings, tinting, and photochromic treatments — performed internally rather than outsourced. Distribution is exclusively through its own retail stores; the company does not operate e-commerce or wholesale distribution, and there is no indication of third-party optical retailers carrying the LOV label.

The business model is asset-light on the revenue side and capital-controlled on the equity side: paid-in capital is €41,600, the company is entirely self-funded with no external investment, and operations are run with a small team (stated headcount band of 11–50, with roughly 20 staff visible on company materials). Revenue is generated through retail point-of-sale transactions — frame plus lens prescriptions and direct-to-consumer optical services — at five physical locations. Customer acquisition is local and relationship-driven within the Veneto catchment area.

Name

Lov

Legal name

LOV OPTOTECNICA S.R.L.

Website

https://lov.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Italian family-owned vertically integrated eyewear company, founded 1961, manufacturing ophthalmic lenses in-house and selling them through five retail stores in the Verona and Vicenza provinces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmic Lens Manufacturing and Eyewear Retail

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Offices of Optometrists (62132)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Ophthalmic lens manufacturing
• Prescription eyewear retail
• Freeform progressive lenses
• Lens coating treatments
• Myopia management lenses

Headquarters

HQ city

Cellole

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Ophthalmic Lens Sales: Manufacture and sale of prescription lenses including single vision, progressive, office, sports, and specialized lenses (driving, pilots) with various coatings and treatments. Direct-to-consumer through owned retail stores.
2. Eyewear Retail: Sale of branded eyeglass frames and sunglasses from luxury to mid-market brands including Ray-Ban, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, and many others. Sale of contact lenses.
3. Lens Treatments and Coatings: Additional value-added treatments applied to lenses including anti-reflective coating, UV protection, polarization, photochromic transitions, hardcoating, and mirror coatings.
4. Contact Lens Fitting: Application and fitting of contact lenses for adolescents and adults, including assessment of visual abilities and ongoing support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ottica LOV operates a vertically integrated ophthalmic lens manufacturing laboratory in Cellore d'Illasi (Verona) and retails custom prescription lenses, branded eyewear frames, contact lenses, and lens treatments through five owned stores in Verona and Vicenza provinces. The company produces specialized lens families (single vision, progressive, office, driving, sports, pilot, and myopia management) and applies advanced coatings (anti-reflective, UV, polarization, mirror, photochromic, hardcoating) in-house, selling directly to end consumers with personalized consultation.

Product overview

Ottica LOV is an Italian eyewear company that operates as both a lens manufacturer and retail chain. The company produces ophthalmic lenses using advanced technologies from its Cellore d'Illasi facility and sells them through 5 retail stores in Verona and Vicenza. The core product portfolio includes 8 specialized lens families: LOV Single Vision Individual (custom monofocal lenses), Digital Smart Boost (digital eye strain relief), Progressive Free Vision (customized progressive lenses with freeform technology), Lov Life Style Office (indoor/professional use lenses in three variants), Dynamic Drive (driving-optimized progressive lenses), LOV Dynamic Sports (sporting performance lenses), Pilot (aerospace professional lenses), and myoLov (myopia management lenses for children with clinical evidence of 40% progression reduction). These are complemented by 8 treatment options including anti-reflective coatings, UV protection, AR Sun UV, polarization, sun filters, mirroring, photochromic Transitions lenses, and hardcoating. The company also retails a curated selection of luxury and fashion eyewear brands including Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Ray-Ban, Oakley, and many others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LOV Single Vision Individual Customized monofocal lenses designed with LOV 4.0 optimization algorithms, providing clear vision and high visual comfort in all gaze directions. Targeted at individual consumers requiring single vision prescription correction.
• Digital Smart Boost Lenses with vertical aspherical geometry designed for digital device users that relax the eye and reduce visual fatigue from screens, suitable for young users as well as adults.
• Progressive Free Vision Customized progressive lenses with 4th generation freeform technology offering high definition and stable image quality across the entire visual field through an advanced geometric optimization system calibrating two different curvatures point by point.
• Lov Life Style Office Optimized lenses for indoor office use providing clear vision between near and intermediate distances and maximum comfort for reading, PC, and professional environments. Available in three lens types: Active, Relax, and Flex.
• Dynamic Drive Progressive lenses designed for drivers providing stable vision, comfort even at night, and glare reduction for those who drive many hours per day.
• LOV Dynamic Sports Sporting eyewear lenses with enhanced curved frames providing optimized clear vision for high performance in movement and sports activities.
• Pilot Progressive lenses specifically designed for pilots, providing optimal far-distance vision and clear focus on both high and low cockpit instruments.
• myoLov Perifocal lenses with asymmetric profile using freeform processing designed to slow myopia progression in children by creating peripheral defocus that sends signals to counteract eye elongation. Clinical studies show 40% reduction in myopia progression compared to traditional lenses.
• Antiriflesso (Anti-reflective Coating) Coating with metallic nano-deposits that nearly completely reduces reflections from sunlight and artificial light, improving vision clarity and reducing visual fatigue. Ideal for night driving and prolonged digital device use.
• UV Block Lens coating providing protection against blue light and UV rays, helping prevent eye damage from sun exposure and prolonged screen use.
• Polarizzazione (Polarization Treatment) Polarized lens treatment with internal polarizing layer that blocks horizontal light responsible for glare and reflections, improving visibility and visual comfort on reflective surfaces such as water and asphalt. Available with prescription.
• Specchiatura (Mirror Coating) High-reflection mirrored lenses available with prescription, providing elevated sun protection with customizable finishes. Achieved through deposition of eight nanometric layers of different metals on the outer convex surface combined with an internal anti-reflective coating.
• Transitions Gen S (Photoselective) Intelligent photochromic lenses that adapt to light conditions, protect from UV rays and blue light, available in many colorations. Darken quickly in sunlight and return to clear indoors.
• Hardcoating Lens hardening treatment for organic glass lenses to increase scratch resistance through a three-phase process: preparation with cleaning and inspection, lacquering through successive immersions for constant thickness, and oven curing for paint catalysis with the lens polymer.
• Branded Eyewear Frames Retail Retail sale of branded eyeglass frames and sunglasses from luxury to mid-market brands including Ray-Ban, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Oakley, and many others, paired with prescription lens fitting.
• Contact Lens Fitting Service Application and fitting of contact lenses for adolescents and adults, including assessment of visual abilities and ongoing professional support.
• Contact Lens Sales Sale of contact lenses through the company's retail stores in Verona and Vicenza provinces.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% average reduction in myopia progression compared to traditional lenses (based on peripheral focal lenses studies underlying myoLOV technology)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered historical.

• MetalluxhistoricalTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1981Collaboration on early anti-reflective treatments, contributing to LOV's coating technology expertise.
• Officine GalileohistoricalTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1962Early collaboration for production of 'Galileo Primato' lenses, one of the first major partnerships that established LOV's reputation in the Italian optical industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Specsavers: Large optical retail chain primarily in UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Nordics, with a partnership model for in-store optometry. Comparable as a multi-store optical retailer carrying premium brands, though it does not currently operate in Italy (LOV's core market).

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica: Global eyewear and lens giant combining Essilor's lens manufacturing with Luxottica's branded eyewear (Ray-Ban, Oakley, Chanel licensed, etc.). Overlaps with LOV across both the lens manufacturing side (Essilor) and the retail/luxury brand portfolio (Luxottica) — and many of LOV's premium brand offerings are Luxottica-licensed.
• Hoya Corporation (Vision Care): Japanese global leader in ophthalmic lens manufacturing, with freeform and progressive lens technology directly competing with LOV's freeform Progressive Free Vision. Comparable on advanced lens R&D and proprietary manufacturing processes, though at vastly greater global scale.
• Carl Zeiss Vision: Premium German optical brand manufacturing ophthalmic lenses (progressive, single vision, photochromic) with strong R&D heritage. Comparable to LOV on premium lens positioning and proprietary freeform coatings, though at global enterprise scale.
• Fielmann: Europe's largest optical retailer with ~1,000+ stores, vertically integrating lens manufacturing and operating a vertical 'Made in Germany' model. Comparable to LOV's manufacturer-retailer structure, though Fielmann's scale and digital maturity vastly exceed LOV's.

Direct peers

• De Rigo: Italian eyewear group (Belluno) owning Police, Sting, Lozza and licensed brands like Dior, Fendi, and Chopard. Closely comparable Italian family-controlled optical company combining in-house manufacturing with licensed luxury brand distribution.
• Safilo Group: Italian eyewear manufacturer (Padova-based) producing prescription frames and sunglasses for global brands including Carrera, Polaroid, and many luxury licensed lines. Comparable as an Italian family-rooted optical manufacturer with similar heritage and brand portfolio overlap, though Safilo operates at industrial B2B scale rather than retail.
• Marcolin: Italian eyewear manufacturer (Belluno) producing for Tom Ford, Ermenegildo Zegna, Guess, and other premium brands. Peer to LOV's manufacturing heritage, Italian origins, and luxury-licensed business model, though Marcolin is B2B-focused without retail footprint.
• Salmoiraghi & Viganò: Italy's most established optical retail chain, with ~300 stores nationwide and a heritage dating to the 19th century. Directly comparable to LOV as a multi-store Italian optical retailer carrying premium and luxury brands, though at much greater scale and without LOV's in-house lens manufacturing.
• Rodenstock: German ophthalmic lens and eyewear manufacturer with proprietary lens designs (Impression, Progressive). Comparable to LOV as a vertically integrated European premium lens manufacturer with family/heritage roots and proprietary freeform technology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OtticaLov
• Instagraminstagram.com/otticalov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lov-optotecnica-s.r.l.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Lov