EYERIM, a fast-growing direct-to-consumer eyewear brand in Central and Eastern Europe, plans to make Romania a strategic focus of its 2025 regional expansion. Now in its 10th year, the company forecasts €21 million in sales as it accelerates its transition from online fashion retailer to full-service optician.
The company’s growth has been fueled by the expansion of its in-house product lines, including OiO and Kohe frames, custom lenses, and complimentary eye exams in its showrooms. These categories grew nearly three times faster than international brands, boosting margins and lowering reliance on traditional marketing.
“Romania is one of the most dynamic markets in the region and a key test case for our shift from fashion retailer to full-service online optician,” said Yassaman Omidbakhsh, co-founder and co-CEO of EYERIM. “We see this as more than a commercial opportunity, it’s where we refine how to educate the market, build trust, and prove that buying prescription glasses online can be just as personal and reliable as offline.”
EYERIM posted revenue growth of 25% in 2023 and 32% in 2024, driven by continued investment in digital infrastructure, logistics, and customer operations. The company has also expanded its offline presence, integrating showrooms in Bratislava and Prague into a digital-first model that supports, rather than replaces, online sales.
Romania, which launched two years after Slovakia and the Czech Republic, remains an online-only market. The company has no plans for physical locations there before the end of 2025 but cites it as one of its fastest-growing geographies.
Romania accounts for over 10% of EYERIM’s total revenue
Romania contributed more than 10% of EYERIM’s total revenue in 2024, on par with growth in Poland, most of them for sunglasses. The company plans to expand its prescription eyewear segment and focus on educating customers about the benefits of buying optical products online.
An internal survey conducted in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland found that while just 22% of respondents had purchased glasses online, 61% were open to doing so.
“The gap between interest and actual purchase suggests the main barrier is trust, not technology. Tools like augmented reality, prescription configurators, and remote consultation are designed to address that,” said Omidbakhsh. “Romania’s rapid digital adoption and improving logistics make it well suited to scale this model.”
EYERIM works with some of the world’s leading eyewear suppliers, including Luxottica (Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada), Safilo (Polaroid, Boss), Kering (Gucci), and Marcolin. EYERIM is in the process of becoming the first online retailer in the region authorised to sell Thelios collections, including Fendi and Loewe.
“Optical retail in Eastern Europe still relies on fragmented systems that no longer meet the expectations of modern consumers,” said Martin Zahuranec, co-founder and co-CEO of EYERIM. “We want to pioneer a model built on transparency and empathy, to deliver a service we’d want for ourselves. It’s about changing how people think about eyewear, removing outdated barriers, and creating that moment of surprise when the customer says, ‘This was easier than I thought.’ Romania is where we believe this transformation can scale.”
Founded in 2015 by Yassaman Omidbakhsh and Martin Zahuranec, both with prior experience in e-commerce development in Southeast Asia, EYERIM has raised over €5.7 million across four funding rounds from investors including Neulogy Ventures, Eterus Capital, Inovo, and 3TS Capital. Over the past eight years, it has become the fastest-growing player in the optical segment in Central and Eastern Europe, with an active presence in 14 markets.