EssilorLuxottica is going upstream, acquiring PUcore to get closer to the materials that shape lenses.
EssilorLuxottica (Paris, France) is adding another name to its growing list of acquisitions. This time, it’s PUcore, a South Korean company known for its work in ophthalmic lens materials—specifically, high index monomers used to make thinner, lighter lenses.
The deal includes PUcore’s R&D team, production facility and sales office, along with a solid portfolio of patents and manufacturing know-how. In short, it’s a move that gives EssilorLuxottica more control over the early stages of lens development.
EssilorLuxottica announces the acquisition on LinkedIn
According to EssilorLuxottica, this will help the company improve the formulation and production of high-index lenses, while also making supply chains more sustainable.
“This addition will allow us to widen our portfolio of patents, technologies and know-how…and raise the bar for the performance and sustainability of the processes and supplies used across the entire ophthalmic industry,” said CEO Francesco Milleri and Deputy CEO Paul du Saillant in a news release.
The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2025, pending regulatory approval.
Part of a bigger picture
If this sounds familiar, it’s because EssilorLuxottica has been busy over the past year. The PUcore deal is just the latest in a series of acquisitions that signal the company’s interest in owning more of the eye care ecosystem.
In July 2024, the company took a majority stake in Heidelberg Engineering GmbH (Heidelberg, Germany), a leader in ophthalmic imaging. By December, it had reached a deal to acquire Espansione Group (Bologna, Italy), known for its light-based therapies for dry eye.
The acquisition streak continued into 2025, with plans announced in February to purchase Canadian start-up Cellview Imaging (Toronto, Canada), which specializes in retinal diagnostics. Then in June, EssilorLuxottica acquired Optegra (London, United Kingdom), a clinical eye care provider with a strong footprint across Europe.
Now, with PUcore, the company is moving further upstream, getting closer to the raw materials that lenses are built from.
EssilorLuxottica’s supply chain strategy
For the industry, this acquisition highlights EssilorLuxottica’s ongoing push to tighten its grip on innovation and production, not just distribution and retail. High index monomers might not sound flashy, but they’re essential to the kind of lenses many people rely on every day.
The move also reinforces a broader trend: companies seeking greater control over the entire supply chain, from R&D to retail shelves. In EssilorLuxottica’s case, it’s becoming clear that they don’t just want to be the biggest—they want to build and own the tools that shape the future of vision care.
Editor’s Note: For more information, see the official EssilorLuxottica press release.