With 2020 about to come to a close as we step into December, one thing everyone is rushing to do is making sure they have used their vision benefits as well as flexible spending accounts before they expire. The eyewear industry is a hard market to penetrate and many big-box retailers like Walmart and Costco are taking a cut into the business even though the market continues to grow. 

Photo: David Travis

These are the top 5 highly valued private vision care companies. 

• Warby Parker is, although a veteran as a startup, the most flashy and youngest eyewear company that has paved its way to success as a direct to consumer (DTC) seller, transforming both the eyewear industry and the DTC market by opening up E-commerce for eyeglasses and selling them at a fraction of the cost in comparison to its competitors. The company has raised two rounds of funding this year and made some investments of their own. 
• Vision Service Plan not only is an eyewear seller through their brands like Marchon and Altair but it also is a vision care insurance provider that dates back to its founding in 1955. 
• Clarkson Eyeware is an optical retailer chain founded in 1979 in Ballwin, Missouri, and has retail operations in 8 states. It was recently acquired by the Swiss investor Partners Group through its parent organization EyeCare Partners.
• Walman Optical was founded in 1915 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and operates more than 40 practices in 19 states. Beyond eyewear, it also manufactures optical instruments and ultra coating solutions for different forms of eyewear. 
• Eyeglass World was founded in 1988 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and has retail stores in 23 states. The company also sells eyeglasses and contact lenses through its online store and was by National Vision in 2019. 

PrivCo covers around 250 private eyewear companies generating $16BN+ in revenue. Learn more about the difference in the valuation of private vs. public companies here. 

Largest Valuation Gains This Year
According to our records, Stripe, SpaceX, and Chime had the biggest valuation increases of 2020. 

• Stripe gained close to $2BN in its already gigantic $35BN+ valuation. 
• SpaceX jumped $11BN after multiple rounds of equity funding this year.
• Chime almost tripled its valuation after closing $500MM+ funding in September.