Mamy Eyewear

Mamy Eyewear is an optical retailer of French origin operating in Kenya and the wider East African market, selling sunglasses, eyeglasses and related accessories for men, women and children. It positions itself around accessible pricing, transparency and design, offering a single price across its frame range with prescription lenses included, free delivery and a two-year warranty.

The company operates a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer model. Frames are designed in-house, manufactured with what the company describes as top-tier materials, and assembled in Kenya; prescription lenses are supplied by Essilor. Collections are renewed regularly, and the company markets through influencer partnerships aimed at repositioning spectacles as a fashion accessory rather than a medical device.

Alongside product sales, Mamy provides eyecare services, including comprehensive eye tests using modern equipment and, as later described, free AI-powered eye tests through its network of optical stores, with prescription glasses delivered in as little as two hours starting at US$15.

Founding story

Co-founder Antoine Drouet has said the company was started out of a desire to bring accessibility, simplicity and transparency to Kenya's optical industry: having lived in Nairobi and worn spectacles himself, he found it difficult to obtain the right product at the right price with the right service, which led the founders to create the brand.

Business model

Mamy Eyewear runs a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer model: it designs its collections in-house, manufactures its frames and assembles them in Kenya, and sells directly to consumers online and through its own optical stores, cutting out intermediaries and their margins. Prescription lenses are sourced from Essilor. The company describes itself as a for-profit business that pursues social outcomes alongside profitability and scalability, and it funds starter stock for new entrepreneurs — one fully funded stock for every 100 pairs sold — under a distribution model in which trained entrepreneurs provide eye care and sell ultra-affordable glasses.

Revenue comes from direct sales of frames, prescription lenses, sunglasses and accessories to consumers, at a single frame price inclusive of prescription lenses; eye tests are offered free of charge.

Traction

The company reported five employees as of February 2024. It has opened a network of modern optical stores, produces frames at a cost of about $10 per pair against a retail price of KSh6,500 including prescription lenses, and by January 2026 offered prescription glasses from US$15 with delivery in as little as two hours.

Latest developments

In January 2026 Mamy Eyewear announced an undisclosed strategic investment from Ikemori Venture Support, a Japan-based family office backing consumer and technology ventures in Africa and Asia. Founder and CEO Antoine Drouet said the partnership would support efficient scaling and operational strengthening, while IVS managing director Takaaki Nishino cited the company's focus on expanding access to eyecare services.