Silhouette International Schmied

What Silhouette International Schmied does

Silhouette International Schmied AG, founded in 1964 in Linz, Austria by Arnold and Anneliese Schmied, is a third-generation family-owned manufacturer of premium eyewear operating through three brands: Silhouette (rimless premium, where the company is the global market leader), evil eye (high-performance sports), and NEUBAU (sustainable premium, launched 2016). Its technology base is centered on proprietary materials — a high-tech titanium alloy and SPX+/SPX Green+ polymers developed in-house, plus the natural3D plant-based material from castor oil — and on the in-house Lens Lab, which produces custom lenses in a closed-loop, zero-microplastics process. The flagship innovation, Titan Minimal Art (launched 1999, space-certified since 2000), weighs 2 grams and contains no screws or hinges; 12.4 million units have been sold. The portfolio is supported by 55 patents, 3,000 new eyewear designs per year, and over 130 international design awards. Manufacturing is concentrated in Linz (Austrian headquarters) and Trhové Sviny, Czech Republic, with 80% of production steps performed by hand and more than 100 quality checks per pair.

The company makes money primarily by manufacturing and wholesaling premium prescription frames, sunglasses, and sports eyewear to a global network of optical specialist retailers — the principal go-to-market channel — complemented by direct consumer touchpoints including the House of Silhouette flagship in Vienna's Palais Herberstein (opened December 2024), brand websites featuring Virtual Try-on, and the Buy Local Click & Collect program that routes online discovery to local opticians for fitting. Pricing is premium-tier, quote-based, and determined at the retailer level, with no publicly disclosed price points. Sustainability is embedded in the operating model: production has been TÜV Austria-verified CO2-neutral (with compensation) since September 2022, the Linz site is transitioning to 100% fossil-gas-free production from April 2026, and the company holds the EU EMAS certification, the only eyewear producer in Europe to do so. The customer base is distributed across premium prescription, sports, and sustainable consumer segments served through independent optical retail, keeping end-customer concentration low but tying results to optical retail channel health.

Name

Silhouette International Schmied

Legal name

Silhouette International Schmied AG

Website

https://silhouette-group.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Silhouette International Schmied AG is a third-generation Austrian family-owned premium eyewear manufacturer and global leader in rimless eyewear, producing 3,000 designs per year under the Silhouette, evil eye, and NEUBAU brands, sold via optical specialist retailers, e-commerce, and the House of Silhouette flagship in Vienna.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Eyewear Manufacturing

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (42346)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury & Designer Eyewear (CRAAAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prescription Eyewear Frames (Optical) (CRAAAKAA), Sport & Performance Eyewear (CRAAAKAC), Sunglasses (Non-Prescription) (CRAAAKAB)

Keywords

• Premium eyewear manufacturing
• Rimless titanium glasses
• Sports eyewear brand
• Sustainable optical frames
• Made in Austria eyewear

Headquarters

HQ city

Linz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Eyewear Products: Revenue from manufacturing and selling premium prescription glasses, sunglasses, and sports eyewear under three brands: Silhouette (premium rimless), evil eye (sports), and NEUBAU (sustainable premium). Products sold through optical specialist retailers, flagship stores, and e-commerce platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Silhouette International Schmied AG manufactures and sells premium eyewear under three brands: Silhouette (rimless and full-rim prescription glasses and sunglasses, including the iconic Titan Minimal Art), evil eye (high-performance sports eyewear), and NEUBAU (sustainable progressive eyewear made with plant-based materials). Frames are produced at the Linz, Austria headquarters using proprietary materials (high-tech titanium alloy and SPX+ polymer) and are sold globally through optical specialist retailers, brand flagship stores, and digital channels supported by Virtual Try-on and Click & Collect services.

Product overview

Silhouette International Schmied AG operates as a premium eyewear manufacturer with three distinct brands under its portfolio: Silhouette (rimless premium eyewear - global market leader), evil eye (sports eyewear), and NEUBAU EYEWEAR (sustainable/progressive eyewear). The company produces approximately 3,000 new eyewear designs annually, holds 55 patents, and manufactures using proprietary materials including Hightech-Titan and SPX+. Beyond physical products, Silhouette offers digital services including Virtual Try-on and Buy Local Initiative. The company operates the HOUSE OF SILHOUETTE retail concept in Vienna. All production is located in Linz, Austria (Made in Austria), with CO2-neutral production since 2022 verified by TÜV Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Silhouette: Premium rimless eyewear brand and global leader in the rimless premium eyewear segment. Known for Titan Minimal Art and design-oriented glasses.
• evil eye
• NEUBAU EYEWEAR

Products and services

• Silhouette brand (premium rimless eyewear) Premium prescription glasses, sunglasses, and full-rim frames sold under the Silhouette brand, marketed as the lightest, most innovative, and design-led premium eyewear in the world. Includes the iconic Titan Minimal Art collection. Sold through optical specialist retailers and via silhouette.com with Virtual Try-on.
• evil eye brand (sports eyewear) High-performance sports eyewear offering clear vision, perfect grip during movement, and individually adjustable fit for cycling, mountaineering, running, and water sports. Includes award-winning models such as elate.o pro mountaineering glasses with removable face-fit foam pad and LST filter technology. Sold through specialty sports optical retailers and evileye.com.
• NEUBAU EYEWEAR (sustainable progressive eyewear) Progressive sustainable premium eyewear combining aesthetic design of sunglasses and prescription glasses with plant-based natural3D material produced via 3D printing in a no-waste process. Targets environmentally conscious premium consumers. Sold through optical retailers and neubau-eyewear.com.
• Titan Minimal Art collection Silhouette's signature rimless eyewear collection made from proprietary high-tech titanium alloy, weighing 2 grams with no screws or hinges, certified for space missions since 2000. Over 12.4 million units sold worldwide. Sold through Silhouette brand channels and optical specialists.
• Futura collection Timeless style icon model from the Silhouette brand first launched in 1974; recognized as a collectible eyewear design and the subject of an Austrian Post commemorative stamp in 2023.
• Virtual Try-on Digital fitting tool on silhouette.com that lets customers virtually try on frames at home using their device camera or display as a virtual mirror and then route the selection to a local optician for in-person fitting. Bridges online discovery and offline dispensing.
• Buy Local Initiative (Click & Collect) Omnichannel service that allows online shoppers to select up to three frames and have them delivered free of charge to a local optical specialist for fitting, consultation, and final purchase, strengthening the optical retailer partner channel.
• HOUSE OF SILHOUETTE (Vienna flagship store) Premium brand experience flagship store in Vienna offering optical services, vision tests, styling consultations, and presentation of all three brands (Silhouette, NEUBAU, evil eye) under one roof with modern technology and personalized service.
• Vision Sensation App Digital tablet application enabling customers to measure, customize, visualize, and order eyewear in-store with their optician. Winner of the iF Design Award 2022 in the Apps/Software category, used as a sales tool by optical specialist retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12.4 million Titan Minimal Art frames sold worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Villa RoSiPez (Rosenbauer, PEZ/Haas)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 September 2015Joint childcare facility opened with neighboring companies Rosenbauer and PEZ/Haas to support employees with children. Located at Silhouette headquarters in Linz. Two-storey facility with large garden area, opened September 7, 2015.
• Gold Standard Projects (Brazil)minorOthersCarbon offset certificates purchased from Gold Standard certified projects including 'Renewable Energy in Ceará, Brazil'. Project registration: GSM24959. Illegal logging alternative project switching ceramic factories from wood/coal to biomass. Supports reforestation and local community development.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Silhouette International Schmied