Les Opticiens Mobiles

Les Opticiens Mobiles operates as the first national network of mobile opticians in France, targeting a dual clientele of both active and vulnerable individuals. Founded in 2015 by Matthieu Gerber, the Lyon-based company was established to address a significant gap in the visual healthcare market: access to optical services for those unable or unwilling to travel. Gerber's background includes a decade at Essilor, the global leader in optics, and a role as General Manager for a Lyon-based optical SME, experiences that provided him with deep industry insight and an entrepreneurial drive to create a service with social utility.

The company's business model is centered on deploying a network of state-certified opticians who provide services directly at clients' homes, in nursing homes (Ehpad), senior service residences, disability facilities, and corporate workplaces. This "outside-the-walls" approach creates a new profession of "Mobile Optician, visual health coordinator," focusing on underserved populations, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and those in geographically isolated areas. The firm operates as a social and solidarity economy enterprise (ESUS) and a mission-led company, a status that formally recognizes its social impact objectives, such as reducing isolation and revaluing the optician profession. Revenue is generated from the sale of corrective glasses, sunglasses, protective eyewear, and low-vision aids, with a transparent pricing structure. The business model involves a revenue-sharing system where the mobile optician receives a significant percentage of the sales, while the central structure manages support services like training, logistics, third-party payment processing, and marketing.

Since its inception, Les Opticiens Mobiles has achieved several key milestones, including obtaining AFNOR certification for "at-home personal services" in 2016 and becoming the first optical company to receive the ESUS accreditation. The company has secured significant funding to fuel its expansion, including a €2.2 million seed round in 2015, a €3.2 million Series A in 2019, and a €7.5 million Series B in 2021 from historical investors like Evolem Start, Investir &+, 123 Investment Managers, and Amundi. This capital has supported the growth of its national network, which is composed of both salaried opticians and franchisees. In a strategic move to consolidate the at-home optical market, Les Opticiens Mobiles acquired its competitor, Les Opticiens à Domicile, in 2024.

Keywords: mobile optician, at-home eyecare, visual health services, social enterprise, ESUS certified, mission-led company, optical services France, home visit optician, corporate wellness, senior eyecare, disability access healthcare, Matthieu Gerber, Lyon startup, HealthTech, franchise network, eyecare for elderly, rural healthcare access, B2C services, eye exam at home, corrective glasses delivery