What Filtral does

Filtral is a German fashion eyewear distributor headquartered in Fürth-Burgfarrnbach, operating as one of three internationally-oriented sub-concerns of the family-owned uvex group. The company distributes sunglasses and reading glasses, serving style-conscious consumers needing UV protection or presbyopia correction, mid-market trade partners across European retail, and enterprise clients seeking customized branded eyewear. Filtral's roots trace to the 1926 founding of the original uvex optical business, with the Filtral fashion eyewear brand launched in the 1970s and formalized as the independent subsidiary FILTRAL GmbH & Co. Vertriebs KG in the 1990s.

The core product line spans fashion sunglasses with 100% UV protection, polarization, and multiple lens shapes, alongside reading glasses available in diopter strengths from +1.0 to +3.5 with aspheric lens design, optical correctness certification, and an optional blue light filter (approximately 30% absorption) for digital device users. Underlying technology is anchored by proprietary OC-LIGHT LENS Technology, which produces lighter and thinner plastic lenses via a differentiated manufacturing process, supplemented by Green Line Recycled sustainable frames built from 100% recycled plastics and metals. The company handles approximately 12 million glasses annually and holds ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 certifications, plus three consecutive EcoVadis Gold sustainability ratings and CE marking compliance with EN ISO 12312-1 (sunglasses) and EN 14139 (reading glasses).

Filtral operates a hybrid B2B/B2C revenue model: primary wholesale hardware sales through more than 8,000 brand retail locations in Germany and across European markets, complemented by D2C e-commerce sales via a branded Amazon storefront, and a full-service Private Label partnership for enterprise clients requiring custom branded collections. Pricing follows unit pricing per SKU with no subscription or platform component. Sub-brands Star Optic and StreetGear serve entry-level price tiers, while secondary distribution is supported by a flexible field sales force and POS service agency. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Filtral

Legal name

FILTRAL GmbH & Co. Vertriebs KG

Website

https://filtral.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Filtral is a German fashion eyewear distributor (sunglasses and reading glasses) operating as a subsidiary of the uvex group, serving European retail partners, direct consumers via Amazon, and enterprise Private Label clients across wholesale, D2C, and B2B channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Eyewear

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Eyewear Retail & DTC Brands (Frames & Sunglasses) (CRAAAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB), Reading Glasses (OTC) (CRAAAKAG)

Keywords

• Fashion sunglasses
• Reading glasses
• Eyewear distribution
• Private label eyewear
• Plastic lens manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fürth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sunglasses Sales: Sale of fashion sunglasses for men and women through retail partners, wholesale distribution, and e-commerce channels (Amazon). Products include polarized, UV-protective, and recycled material options.
2. Reading Glasses Sales: Sale of reading glasses/reading aids with various diopter strengths (+1.0 to +3.5), including blue light filtering options for digital device users.
3. Private Label Solutions: Full-service Private Label partnership for companies seeking custom branded eyewear, including concept development, design, and on-site support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Filtral manufactures and distributes fashion sunglasses and reading glasses to retail partners across Europe. The company offers its own primary Filtral brand plus secondary entry-level brands (Star Optic, StreetGear), a sustainable Green Line Recycled line, and full-service Private Label solutions for companies seeking custom branded eyewear collections. Products are distributed through more than 8,000 retail locations in Germany and directly to consumers via Amazon.

Product overview

Filtral is a fashion eyewear company offering two core product lines: Sunglasses and Reading Glasses. The company operates under the uvex group and provides its own primary brand (Filtral) along with secondary brands Star Optic and StreetGear for the entry-level price segment. The portfolio also includes a sustainable product line called Green Line Recycled, featuring sunglasses and reading glasses made from 100% recycled materials. Additionally, Filtral offers Private Label solutions for businesses seeking customized eyewear collections. All products are manufactured with focus on quality, UV protection for sunglasses, and optical correctness for reading glasses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Star Optic: Secondary brand positioned as a time-limited addition in the entry-level price segment.
• StreetGear
• Green Line Recycled

Products and services

• Sunglasses Fashion sunglasses providing 100% UV protection (UVA, UVB, UVC) with various styles including Cateye, Rectangular, and Vintage; distributed to retailers across Europe and via Amazon D2C.
• Reading Glasses Reading glasses for presbyopia correction, available in diopter strengths from +1.0 to +3.5, featuring aspheric lenses, optical correctness, and optional blue light filtering for digital device users.
• Green Line Recycled Sustainable sunglasses and reading glasses line made from 100% recycled materials including plastic (PET, acrylic glass) and metal (copper); frames manufactured entirely from recycled materials, with selected sunglasses models featuring recycled lenses.
• Private Label Solutions Full-service private label partnership for creating customized eyewear collections; Filtral works with clients on concept development, design, and on-site support to create trend-focused collections tailored to specific target audiences.
• Star Optic Secondary brand positioned in the entry-level price segment, suitable for limited-time supplementary placement alongside the primary Filtral brand.
• StreetGear Secondary brand positioned in the entry-level price segment, suitable for limited-time supplementary placement alongside the primary Filtral brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 million glasses handled annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• natureOfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent partner for CO2 compensation. natureOffice captures all data on raw materials, manufacturing, processing, and transport to calculate emission balance of Filtral products. Compensation is implemented through Project Togo, which supports reforestation and solar energy in West Africa.
• amfori / amfori BSCIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of amfori, the world's leading business association for free and sustainable trade. Filtral participates in amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative), with suppliers regularly audited according to amfori BSCI Code of Conduct.
• TÜV Rheinland GroupmajorTechnology or IntegrationAccredited testing institute that certifies and audits Filtral products and materials. Conducts testing beyond international norm requirements.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary e-commerce platform for direct-to-consumer sales. Filtral maintains branded Amazon stores for both sunglasses and reading glasses collections.
• uvex groupcoreOthersFiltral is one of three internationally oriented sub-concerns of the uvex group, a family-owned company group. The uvex group includes uvex safety group, uvex sports group (uvex sports & Alpina), and Filtral. Filtral benefits from uvex group's quality standards, infrastructure, and shared services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marcolin: Italian eyewear company manufacturing and distributing sunglasses and frames under brand licenses (Tom Ford, Guess, Ermenegildo Zegna). Directly comparable European eyewear wholesaler with B2B trade focus.
• De Rigo: Italian eyewear manufacturer producing sunglasses and optical frames under licensed brands (e.g., Police, Lozza) plus private label. Directly comparable as a European-based eyewear producer/distributor with B2B trade focus.
• Safilo Group: Global eyewear manufacturer and wholesale distributor of sunglasses and optical frames under licensed brands (e.g., Carrera, Polaroid, Hugo Boss). Comparable as a wholesale-led eyewear business serving retailers worldwide.
• Alpina (uvex sports): Sport eyewear brand under the uvex group offering sunglasses and goggles. Sister brand to Filtral with shared parent infrastructure and comparable product categories in the eyewear space.
• uvex sports: Sister sub-concern of Filtral under the uvex group, distributing sport sunglasses and goggles (e.g., Alpina brand). Closely comparable as a uvex-affiliated eyewear distribution business serving European retail with overlapping product technology.
• Design Eyewear Group: Danish eyewear company distributing fashion and premium eyewear brands globally through independent opticians. Comparable European-based eyewear distributor focused on fashion frames and sunglasses via wholesale trade channels.

Regional players

• Brille24: German online optical retailer selling prescription eyewear, sunglasses and reading glasses. Comparable as a German D2C eyewear player overlapping with Filtral's reading glasses and sunglasses categories.
• Mister Spex: European online optical retailer selling prescription glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses, headquartered in Berlin. Comparable as a European omnichannel eyewear competitor operating in overlapping product categories.
• Fielmann: Germany-headquartered optical retailer with the largest domestic footprint, selling prescription eyewear, sunglasses and reading glasses. Comparable as a German-based eyewear retailer sourcing non-prescription products similar to Filtral's range.

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica: World's largest eyewear company owning Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol and a massive retail network. Overlaps with Filtral in wholesale sunglasses and reading glasses but operates at vastly larger scale across both prescription and non-prescription categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Filtral