Millions around the world struggle with presbyopia, relying on bifocals or progressive lenses that limit clear vision and often demand constant switching between different glasses. A Finnish company, IXI, is about to change that. With a revolutionary approach to eyewear, IXI is building the world’s first autofocus glasses — smart lenses that adjust focus automatically and seamlessly, no manual effort required.
Fueling this ambitious vision, IXI has raised $36.5 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Plural, with participation from Tesi, byFounders, Heartcore, Eurazeo, FOV Ventures, Tiny Supercomputer, and existing investors. The fresh capital will help IXI finalize its Adaptive Eyewear and prepare for a full commercial launch.
Breaking New Ground in Eyewear Innovation
Founded in 2021 in Espoo, Finland, by Niko Eiden and Ville Miettinen, the minds behind mixed-reality pioneer Varjo, IXI is tackling a long-overdue problem. While eyewear has evolved beautifully in design over centuries, the core functionality has barely changed. Traditional progressive lenses come with compromises — narrow fields of view, peripheral blurring, and a frustrating lack of adaptability to real-life demands.
IXI’s solution? Smart, dynamic lenses that work with your eyes rather than against them. Their real-time autofocus technology delivers seamless vision across all distances, adapting as naturally as your eyes once did.
“We’re building the future of vision,” said Niko Eiden, CEO of IXI. “For too long, millions have had to settle for imperfect solutions. Now, backed by visionary investors, we’re ready to change how humanity sees the world.”
At the heart of IXI’s tech is a combination of ultra-low-power eye tracking and dynamic lens adjustment. Instead of bulky, power-draining cameras, IXI uses infrared sensors discreetly embedded in the lenses. A microcontroller hidden in the glasses’ nose bridge instantly processes eye convergence data, adjusting the lenses with incredible speed and precision.
Because the system detects convergence angles—not facial features—users’ privacy stays fully protected. And with energy consumption kept below 1% of camera-based systems, IXI glasses promise all-day battery life from tiny built-in cells.
Where High Tech Meets High Fashion
IXI isn’t just innovating function; it’s reimagining style. By partnering with luxury eyewear designers, the company ensures that its autofocus glasses blend in with premium fashion frames. No clunky tech. No compromise on aesthetics. Just beautifully designed glasses that happen to be smart.
Miniaturizing this groundbreaking technology required major engineering feats. IXI replaced traditional mechanical lens systems with flat, tunable optical films, achieved through laser-etched liquid crystal layers. Custom-built silicon chips handle rapid adjustments without overheating—something that simply wasn’t possible just five years ago. As Eiden puts it, “We’re riding the wave of smartwatch component miniaturization.”
During development, IXI collaborated with professionals who need fast, accurate focus shifts, like aircraft pilots and mechanics. These real-world insights inspired features like “dynamic tilt compensation,” which adjusts the lenses when looking up, for example when checking an overhead gauge or working under a car.
Unlocking a New Era of Vision Technology
IXI’s innovation comes at a critical time. The global eyewear market, valued at over $200 billion, is ripe for disruption, especially as presbyopia diagnoses soar with an aging population. Instead of forcing people to adapt to their glasses, IXI’s adaptive eyewear lets glasses adapt to the person.
But that’s only the beginning. While the initial focus is on age-related vision correction, the company’s adaptive lens platform could tackle other challenges, such as dynamic astigmatism correction, eye fatigue mitigation, and even integration into VR/AR systems.
Investors clearly see the potential. “Niko, Ville, and the team are creating stunning, invisible technology that’s finally moving human vision into the future,” said Sten Tamkivi, Partner at Plural. “We’re thrilled to back IXI’s bold mission to redefine how we experience the world.”
As IXI moves towards launch, one thing is clear: the way we see the world is about to change — forever.
