Key challenges include achieving a contact-lens form factor roughly the thickness of a human hair and managing brightness for ocular safety while delivering clear images, noting that devices may use lower brightness than AR glasses due to direct retina projection.

Brightness management and wearer comfort are central to XPANCEO’s design, balancing visibility with safety for a comfortable, wearable lens.

XPANCEO is expanding its collaboration with China’s JBD to co-develop miniature micro-displays tailored for smart contact lenses, a move that pushes toward potential mass-market production.

JBD, a Shanghai-based micro-display specialist known for ultra-small XR displays, will contribute to creating contact-lens-sized displays that could scale for mass production.

The Dubai-based startup XPANCEO is deepening its partnership with JBD to advance micro-displays designed specifically for smart contact lenses.

XPANCEO recently announced a partnership with ITEN, a France-based solid-state battery startup, to tackle power and durability needs critical for ocular wearables.

XPANCEO closed a $250 million Series A in July 2025, valuing the company at about $1.35 billion and fueling progress toward mass-market deployment.

The collaboration builds on an earlier joint development of a printed circuit board with an integrated micro-display and an optical system for near-eye image formation, now targeting scalable and manufacturable microdisplays.