Although they were born with a purely functional purpose to improve people's vision, glasses have become a fashion accessory and even a way of expressing oneself. On average, users change their glasses every two years, even if they are not damaged. Flipo, a Barcelona brand founded in 2022, was born with the purpose of offering 100% interchangeable glasses, with temples and clips that make it possible to change both the design of the temples and the front, as well as the type of lens. A sustainable alternative that allows extending the useful life of glasses, while maintaining the same frame.
The models of this Catalan startup allow creating up to 9,000 different combinations from a single frame, as accessories can be added such as design clips that allow changing the colors of the frame, functional clips that include sun protection, screen protection or night driving —or a combination of both types, the functional design clips—, in addition to temples. "Glasses are one of the first accessories we notice when we look at a person, with these temples and clips we offer the possibility of always being fashionable, while reducing the environmental impact by extending their useful life," explains Àlex Abril, CEO of Flipo.
The idea, which Abril developed as a university project for his business degree in Toulouse, came to him when he saw that the progressive glasses his father had bought, in which he had invested more than 500 euros, did not allow adapting to changing fashion or to functions such as protection from the blue light emitted by screens. This is how he began to develop this brand, which he initially financed with private investors, such as René de Jong, and with venture capital funds, including Faraday Venture Partners.
In the three years since its creation, the startup has sold some 30,000 glasses. "Flipo is the fastest growing eyewear brand in the last decade," says Àlex Abril, and currently has more than 50 employees and a network of more than 500 associated opticians in Spain —where it has more than 250 points of sale—, Italy and Portugal. "Our business model is collaborative, with the aim of supporting local commerce and independent opticians," emphasizes Abril. Now, they are focusing on continuing to grow and expanding into new markets, starting with Mexico.
The glasses, made with the material known as Utlem 9085, use a fastening model patented in 158 countries, which includes a magnet, mechanical retention and a compression spring, and which allows for greater fastening and comfort. "Our purpose is to offer a quality product, which makes glasses an accessible object for everyone, reducing the money people have to invest in them, because the same pair of glasses can last you many years without having to buy another pair," summarizes its founder.
Looking ahead to 2025, the startup wants to strengthen its international presence, expanding its points of sale in Italy, which Flipo considers "the country par excellence in the fashion industry." With this purpose, they participated this weekend in Mido, the most important fair in the optical sector, held in Milan. In addition, the company has also recently landed in South Africa, Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia with local distributors, and its idea for this year is to be able to land in new countries, with Mexico in its sights.