What NKL Contactlenzen does

Menicon Nederland B.V., operating commercially as Menicon Nederland and formerly known as NKL Contactlenzen, is the Dutch manufacturing and distribution arm of the Japanese Menicon Group (TSE: 7780). Founded in 1974 in Emmen, Netherlands as a producer of hard contact lenses and rebranded to Menicon B.V. effective January 2020, the company employs approximately 160 people at its Emmen facility, where it manufactures custom-made rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, orthokeratology ("night") lenses, scleral lenses, keratoconus lenses (ROSE K family), and Indivisual custom soft lenses. The portfolio is built on proprietary materials including Menicon Z (hyper oxygen-permeable RGP), MeniSilk (silicone hydrogel) and NanoGloss (surface treatment), and the Emmen site also serves as the European manufacturing base for made-to-order SKUs, while disposable soft lenses (Miru, PremiO, Kisu) and lens care solutions are imported from other Menicon Group entities.

The company operates a B2B, sales-led go-to-market targeting eye care professionals (opticians, optometrists, and contact lens specialists) via a Dutch account management team and a dedicated online ordering portal; end consumers are reached only through the professional channel, with a "verkooppunt" sales-point locator funneling consumer demand back to practitioners. The Menicon Bloom treatment plan — comprising CE-marked Menicon Bloom Night (ortho-k) and Menicon Bloom Day (soft daily) lenses, the first ortho-k product in Europe with CE marking for myopia control in children — is positioned for the pediatric myopia management segment, supported by the Easyfit fitting software, Menicon Academy training, and the Menicon Bloom patient app.

Commercially, revenue is generated from the sale of custom-made-to-order lenses, distributed disposable lenses, and lens care solutions (MeniCare Pure/Plus, Progent, SPRAY&CLEAN, SOLOCARE AQUA, PLATINCARE, I-FRESH eye drops) to professional accounts at undisclosed pricing, with multi-year B2B relationships implied. The Dutch entity is currently investing in European expansion (a new German subsidiary, Menicon SC GmbH, established in 2024), AI-enabled manufacturing automation via the EU-funded SMARTHANDLE consortium, product line extensions (Miru 1day UpSide toric parameter expansion in 2026), and a refreshed EMEA leadership team including a new CEO EMEA effective April 2026.

Name

NKL Contactlenzen

Legal name

Menicon Nederland B.V.

Website

https://menicon.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Menicon Nederland (formerly NKL Contactlenzen) is the Dutch subsidiary of Japan's Menicon Group, manufacturing custom contact lenses at its Emmen facility and distributing Menicon's disposable lenses, myopia control solutions, and lens care products to eye care professionals across the Netherlands and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contact Lens Manufacturing

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (423460)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Contact lens manufacturing
• Custom contact lenses
• Orthokeratology lenses
• Myopia management
• Lens care solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Emmen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom/Made-to-Order (MTO) Contact Lenses: Sale of custom-made hard and soft contact lenses produced in-house at the Emmen facility, including night lenses (ortho-k), ROSE K keratoconus lenses, scleral lenses, and Indivisual custom lenses. These are prescribed and fitted by eye care professionals.
2. Disposable Contact Lenses: Import and distribution of soft disposable lenses (daily, bi-weekly, monthly) from international Menicon subsidiaries. Includes Miru 1day, Miru 1month, PremiO, and Kisu brands. Distributed through eye care professional network.
3. Lens Care Solutions: Sale of lens care products including MeniCare Pure, MeniCare Plus, Progent, SPRAY&CLEAN, SOLOCARE AQUA, PLATINCARE, and I-FRESH eye drops. Also specialized care kits for night lenses and Menicon Bloom lenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Menicon Nederland (formerly NKL Contactlenzen) manufactures and distributes a full range of contact lenses and lens care solutions from its facility in Emmen. The company produces custom-made hard RGP, ortho-K, soft, scleral, and keratoconus lenses in-house, and distributes disposable soft lenses (Miru, PremiO, Kisu) plus lens care products sourced from Menicon Group subsidiaries internationally. Products are prescribed, fitted, and dispensed through eye care professionals (opticians, optometrists, contact lens specialists) across the Netherlands and broader European markets.

Product overview

Menicon Nederland (formerly NKL Contactlenzen) is a total supplier of contact lenses and lens care products, operating as the Netherlands subsidiary of Japan-based Menicon Group. The company produces custom-made lenses (hard RGP, ortho-K/night lenses, soft custom lenses, scleral lenses, keratoconus lenses) in its in-house production facility in Emmen, and distributes disposable soft lenses and lens care products sourced from Menicon's international subsidiaries. The product portfolio spans five main categories: (1) Disposables — Miru 1day Flat Pack, Miru 1day UpSide, Miru 1month, Menicon PremiO, and Kisu 1month (daily, bi-weekly, and monthly formats in spherical, toric, and multifocal variants); (2) Custom/Made-to-Order (MTO) Lenses — Menicon Nachtlenzen (ortho-K overnight lenses), Menicon Indivisual (custom soft 1-month and 3-month lenses), Menicon Vintage (6-month soft lens), Menicon Time XL (scleral lens), ROSE K (keratoconus lens family), and Menicon harde contactlenzen (custom RGP lenses); (3) Myopia Management — Menicon Bloom Night (ortho-K with CE marking) and Menicon Bloom Day (soft daily lens with CE marking), supported by the Menicon Bloom App and Easyfit fitting software; (4) Lens Care Products — MeniCare Pure, MeniCare Plus, Progent, SPRAY&CLEAN (for hard lenses), SOLOCARE AQUA, PLATINCARE (for soft lenses), and I-FRESH eye drops (YAL, MOISTURE, COMFORT); and (5) Maintenance kits specifically packaged for Nachtlenzen and Menicon Bloom Night lenses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Menicon Bloom: Treatment plan for myopia control in children using ortho-k night lenses or daily soft lenses with CE marking
• Menicon Nachtlenzen
• Miru
• PremiO
• ROSE K
• MeniCare

Products and services

• Miru 1day Flat Pack

Quantifiable outcome

• Menicon Bloom Night has been clinically proven safe and effective for myopia control in children, earning CE marking in Europe.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EmbrosaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2025Embrosa manages automated advertising placement for Menicon Bloom campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and Google on behalf of eye care professional customers. Also handles Out-of-Home digital screen advertising near retail locations.
• Harrie Lavreysen (athlete sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 April 2023Menicon Nederland sponsors Olympic track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen (11 world titles, 2x Olympic champion) for 2 years. Harrie wears Miru 1day Flat Pack lenses during cycling. Partnership supports brand visibility and credibility in sports.
• STT ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2023STT Products is part of the SMARTHANDLE consortium working with Menicon and DEMCON on developing smart handling systems for fully automated contact lens production lines. STT contributes mechanical and electrical solutions for handling custom contact lenses in production.
• DEMCON Industrial Systems GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2023DEMCON Industrial Systems leads the software, digitalization, and AI application aspects of the SMARTHANDLE project, working with Menicon and STT Products to develop smart handling systems for automated contact lens manufacturing.
• SMARTHANDLE Consortium (14 European companies and research institutions)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2023A 14-member European consortium including companies, knowledge institutions, and research organizations. The SMARTHANDLE project is funded by the HORIZON 2.4.1. program for Manufacturing Technologies (EU). Project duration: 3 years, estimated cost: 6 million euros. Focuses on intelligent and reconfigurable handling systems for future production lines, with contact lens handling as one of three use cases.
• International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 January 2022Menicon announced sponsorship of IACLE, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, supporting global education and training for contact lens fitting professionals.
• Visioneering Technologies, Inc (VTI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019VTI supplies Menicon Bloom Day soft daily lenses for myopia control, branded under NaturalVue® in the US market. This partnership enabled Menicon to expand the Menicon Bloom treatment plan with a CE-marked daily lens option for myopia control in children in Europe.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Alcon: Alcon's Vision Care division manufactures and sells a broad contact lens portfolio (Dailies, Air Optix, Precision, and the recently acquired Aerie portfolio) plus lens care solutions (Opti-Free, AOSept). It competes across nearly every category Menicon Nederland addresses, from disposables to lens care.
• Johnson & Johnson Vision: Johnson & Johnson Vision, through its Acuvue portfolio, is a global incumbent offering daily disposables, toric and multifocal lenses, and the MiSight 1 day myopia control lens. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping categories but significantly larger scale and marketing spend than Menicon Nederland.
• Bausch + Lomb: Bausch + Lomb is a long-established eye-health incumbent offering daily and monthly disposable contact lenses (Biotrue, Ultra) plus lens care solutions (Biotrue, Renu). Highly comparable to Menicon Nederland across disposables and care, though with broader portfolio reach including pharmaceuticals and surgical products.
• HOYA Vision Care: HOYA Vision Care is a major contact lens and lens-care player (with brands such as MiYOSMART for myopia control). The previous employer of Menicon's incoming EMEA CEO, HOYA represents a directly comparable portfolio strategy combining myopia management, specialty lenses, and lens care.

Direct peers

• CooperVision: CooperVision is one of the world's largest contact lens manufacturers, offering a comparable portfolio of daily, bi-weekly, and monthly disposables plus specialty and myopia control lenses (including MiSight 1 day for myopia management). Directly competes with Menicon Nederland for ECP prescribing share across Europe.

Regional players

• SEED Co., Ltd. SEED is a Japanese contact lens manufacturer producing daily and 2-week disposable lenses plus ortho-K and specialty products, with presence in Asia. Comparable to Menicon in product architecture (silicone hydrogel disposables + custom/ortho-K) but competes primarily in Japan and selected Asia-Pacific markets rather than Europe.

Emerging players

• mark'ennovy Personalized Care: mark'ennovy is a European specialty contact lens manufacturer producing custom soft monthly and daily disposable lenses with broad parameter ranges. Highly comparable to Menicon Nederland's Indivisual custom soft lens portfolio, targeting the same ECP channel for individualized fits.
• Euclid Systems Corporation: Euclid Systems is an emerging ortho-K and specialty contact lens company focused on myopia control and corneal reshaping, with Emerald (ortho-K) and other designs. A direct comparable to Menicon Bloom Night in the ortho-K segment with growing European distribution.
• Art Optical Contact Lens, Inc. Art Optical is a U.S.-based specialty custom contact lens manufacturer producing RGP, scleral, and keratoconus designs (including licensed Rose K lenses). Comparable niche/specialty lens manufacturing overlap with Menicon Nederland's ROSE K, Time XL, and Indivisual custom portfolio.
• Visioneering Technologies, Inc. (VTI): VTI developed NaturalVue (NaturalVue Multifocal), a daily disposable soft contact lens for myopia control/progression management using extended depth-of-focus optics. VTI is both a partner (sourcing Menicon Bloom Day) and a category peer in pediatric myopia management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/meniconcontactlenzen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/menicon
• Instagraminstagram.com/meniconcontactlenzen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 NKL Contactlenzen