Blue Point Capital Partners announced the acquisition of eyebobs, a market leader in premium reading glasses. The investment is part of the firm’s broader plan to build a unique eyewear platform designed for B2B and B2C growth.
eyebobs joins Blue Point’s newly formed eyewear holding company following the firm’s April 2023 platform investment in Europa Eyewear. Founded in 1977 and still family-run today, Europa is one of the largest independent eyewear companies in the United States, designed around a unique model of proprietary eyewear brands and a fully employed salesforce known as the industry gold standard.
Recognized for its distinctive style and art-worthy eyewear, eyebobs was founded in 2001 to address the gap between inexpensive readers sold in the mass market and designer frames sold by optical retailers. eyebobs began with a mission to “create original readers for original people” and has since transformed into a successful omnichannel brand with an exceptional product design aesthetic and a highly engaged customer base.
“We see tremendous opportunity for growth in the eyewear market and could not be more pleased to have Europa and eyebobs as part of our portfolio. The combined strength of these well-established companies will allow us to unlock growth for both organizations by leveraging their proprietary brands, leading design capabilities and differentiated B2B and B2C models,” says Blue Point Partner John LeMay. “The Blue Point team is fully committed to providing the resources both companies need to grow.”
In addition to Blue Point’s experience working with family-owned businesses and its expertise within the optical industry, accomplished industry leaders Jeff Cole and Holly Rush will serve as board members and advisors to the Company, providing guidance to the eyebobs management team.
“Europa and eyebobs have highly complementary capabilities, as well as like-minded cultures and values, making this investment a natural next step in the development of our eyewear platform,” says Blue Point Operating Executive Holly Rush. “eyebobs’ distinct brand and value-proposition truly resonate with consumers. With the capabilities and strengths of Europa, we believe this is a powerful combination poised to expand the brand’s reach and capture significant growth opportunities.”
