Warby Parker is an American company selling prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. Warby Parker sells online only, and has a limited number of showrooms in the United States. By avoiding the overhead of physical stores, the company is able to lower the cost of its glasses by a significant amount; generally, to $95.[1] Along with the low cost, the company is known for selling frames —sometimes described as hipster or retro-style— that have been praised by the likes of Vogue, GQ and others.[2][3] To augment online ordering, they allow users to both virtually try on pairs using a photo, as well as letting customers order multiple pairs for a short trial.[4]
Based in New York City, Warby Parker shipped more than 100,000 pairs of glasses in 2011, and had 60 employees.[5] Named after two Jack Kerouac characters, the company was founded in 2010 by Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, David Gilboa, and Jeffrey Raider.[6] Warby Parker was started with $1.5 million in seed funding, and raised a Series A round of venture capital.[7] In 2012, it raised a $37 million Series B round.[8]