Kenyan startup Mamy Eyewear has brought in strategic backing from Ikemori Venture Support, a Japan-based family office, as it prepares to scale its retail footprint across East Africa.
While the size of the investment was not disclosed, the deal adds an international partner with deep experience in consumer and retail businesses to Mamy’s next phase of growth.
Founded to address persistent gaps in access to affordable vision care, Mamy Eyewear has built its business around vertical integration and technology-enabled eye testing.
The company operates modern optical stores that offer free AI-powered eye exams and deliver prescription glasses in as little as two hours, with prices starting at around $15.
By controlling much of its supply chain and selling directly to customers, Mamy has been able to keep prices low while offering designs that align with contemporary tastes.
Ikemori Venture Support focuses on backing companies it views as capable of combining commercial growth with long-term social value across Africa and Asia.
For Mamy, the partnership is positioned as more than capital alone. Founder and CEO Antoine Drouet has framed the investment as a step toward building a stronger operational base while expanding efficiently into new East African markets, with the ambition of becoming a reference brand for optical retail in the region.
From the investor’s perspective, IVS sees Mamy as a consumer-facing company that blends operational discipline with a clear mission to broaden access to essential services.
Managing director Takaaki Nishino has highlighted the startup’s execution and commitment to eyecare access as key reasons for the backing.
The deal also reflects a wider trend of Asian family offices and strategic investors taking a closer look at African consumer startups that address everyday needs at scale.
Vision care remains underpenetrated across much of the continent, and businesses that can pair affordability with speed and retail experience are increasingly attractive.
For Mamy Eyewear, the challenge now will be maintaining service quality and cost discipline as it grows across multiple markets, a test that will likely define how far this expansion can go.
This post was culled from Disrupt Africa.
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