Snap sets up Specs Inc as standalone smart eyewear business

Snap has established Specs Inc as a separate, wholly owned subsidiary to house its smart glasses business, marking a structural shift as it moves closer to launching the product publicly later this year.

The move is aimed at giving the eyewear business greater operational focus and independence within Snap, while allowing flexibility for partnerships, capital arrangements and potential minority investment. The company said the structure would also support clearer valuation of the business as it scales.

Specs has been under development for more than a decade and is positioned as a computing platform that blends digital information with the physical world through see-through smart glasses. Unlike traditional screens, the device overlays digital elements onto real environments, using voice and hand controls.

According to the company, developers have already begun building applications for the platform, spanning learning tools, games and work-related use cases that are designed to function within real-world settings rather than replace them.

The company is also framing the product within the context of advances in artificial intelligence. Specs is expected to feature an intelligence system designed to assist users by anticipating needs and carrying out tasks, while maintaining user privacy.

Over the longer term, Snap said it sees potential for the platform to reduce dependence on physical objects by replacing items such as whiteboards, manuals and other everyday tools with digital alternatives.

The creation of Specs Inc signals Snap’s intent to position the business as a standalone computing category, separate from its core social media operations, as it prepares to introduce the next version of the product later this year.