The Global Innovation Center and MATTER Announce the Winners of the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge

VSP Vision’s Global Innovation Center and MATTER, the premier healthcare and innovation hub, partnered earlier this year to launch the inaugural VSP Vision Innovation Challenge, calling on startups to submit solutions for enhancing and elevating the patient eye care experience. 

Based on criteria such as alignment and focus, novelty and originality, team readiness and traction, and more, the Global Innovation Center selected five startups to participate in a four-week bootcamp during which the startups received expert mentorship and exclusive resources to build their solutions and refine their value proposition.  

The bootcamp culminated in a showcase event in Chicago, where the finalists pitched their innovations to an audience of healthcare experts and judges with the hopes of winning one of three cash prizes. 

The judges’ panel selected RevitalVision as the first-place winner of the $10,000 grand prize. The Israel-based startup developed a prescribed home-based vision training software program that is scientifically and clinically proven to improve the brain’s visual process. It is the only FDA-cleared and CE-Marked product for children older than 9 and adults with amblyopia (lazy eye).   

Second place went to Machine MD, the creator of the world’s first neuro-ophthalmoscope, a VR headset that's designed to detect vision issues linked to neurological conditions. Rounding out the list of finalists is Lens2Recycle, the developer of a smart, eco-friendly recycling appliance for contact lens wearers, which won the Audience Choice Award, Opthalytics, the developer of an AI-based diagnostic platform for eye disease detection, and Vision Science Labs, the creator of an AI-guided online vision testing and therapy platform. 

Following the finalists’ pitches, Ruth  Yomtoubian, head of the Global Innovation Center, held a fireside chat with Brent Rasmussen, CEO of Visibly, creator of the first online refractive eye test, where he offered a call-to-action for entrepreneurs and industry leaders in the space.   

"Right now, there's just too little collaboration in the industry when it comes to how we can move the vision care experience forward and unify next-gen technologies and solutions,” said Rasmussen.  

Rasmussen referenced his experience at the first Eyecare Innovation Summit in Boulder, CO, seven years ago to underscore the need for more cross-industry collaboration. “I met our two largest customers there, three of our investors there, and the leads and guidance from leaders at the event accelerated our business,” he said. “More collaboration like that and this event just has to happen."  

When asked what excites him the most about the future of vision care, Rasmussen identified the rapid evolution of portable cameras. “The more technology improves in smartphone cameras, the better it is for the industry,” said Rasmussen. “Right now, we can take a picture of the front of the eye, but what if we were able to take pictures of the back of the eye? What if we could see more and provide that picture electronically to a doctor from our homes? As the technology for mobile devices improves, I think it’s going to help our industry a lot.”   

Click on the video above to watch a recap of the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge.