About Us

Vision Innovation Institute (VII) is at the forefront of vision care innovation, developing groundbreaking technologies to treat preventable blindness worldwide. Founded by serial entrepreneurs and leading ophthalmologists, VII functions as an incubator, developing multiple technologies for development and commercialization.

Our work is driven by a deep understanding of the unmet needs in global eye care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We are committed to making advanced, innovative treatments accessible to those who need them most. We have completed lead product clinical studies and secured patents for our innovative technologies.

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can”

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can”

Our Mission

Our mission is to cure treatable blindness globally by 2050.

We aim to achieve this by developing innovative vision treatments that are widely accessible. This is built on our partnership with a global vision care foundation deploying innovative technology and training healthcare professionals across the globe.

We are committed to a sustainable and inclusive approach, restoring sight, improving lives, and helping local economies thrive.

Leadership

  • Board Member and head of ADVF

    He is among the nation’s most experienced laser and lens-based vision correction surgeons. In addition to serving as medical director of Dougherty Laser Vision (with offices in Westlake Village, Camarillo, San Luis Obispo and Beverly Hills, California) Dr. Dougherty is an assistant clinical instructor of ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine. He has served as a principal investigator for multiple FDA clinical trials including CATz topography-guided LASIK, Visian ICL for both myopia and hyperopia, Raindrop Implant for presbyopia and the Tetraflex Accommodating and Softec HD IOLs.


  • Board Chairman

    He has extensive experience in building medical device companies from the ground up. He founded and led several companies in the ophthalmic space including Surgidev Corporation, Advanced Vision Science, Inc. (AVS), and Adoptics Ltd. He has recently been a limited partner at Zuehlke Ventures, investing in novel technologies both in healthcare and in technology.


  • Chief Medical Officer

    Dr. Cuevas holds some of the original patents for the Solea IOL design. He is the founder and former Medical Director of Rocky Mountain Ophthalmology, one of the leading high-volume cataract practices in the country, where he is also a practicing ophthalmologist.


  • Chief Executive Officer

    She is a serial entrepreneur in innovative companies developing ophthalmic technologies. As the co-founder and CEO of Oculotix, she spearheaded the development of AI-based software designed to optimize cataract surgery outcomes. Shravanthi has successfully led multiple medical technology ventures that ultimately led to acquisitions by multinational private equity and pharmaceutical entities.

Partners: Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation (ADVF)

The Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation (ADVF) is a network of U.S.-based eye surgeons, entrepreneurs, and scientists dedicated to eliminating preventable blindness. ADVF stands as a testament to Dr. Paul Dougherty’s unwavering commitment to a brighter future. The foundation’s goal is to deliver gold-standard treatments, focusing on underserved regions and LMICs. They leverage the partnership with VII to bring advanced surgical devices and therapeutics to the most disadvantaged communities.

Through strategic partnerships, they combine advanced research, AI, and scalable financial models to revolutionize global eye care. The foundation aims to build self-sufficient local infrastructures, train healthcare professionals, and deploy innovative technologies to replace outdated practices, ultimately restoring sight, improving lives, helping local economies, and redefining the future of global eye health.

Technology

Solea Intraocular Lens

The Solea lens is a clinically validated IOL designed to prevent posterior capsular opacification (PCO), a common complication of cataract surgery that causes secondary cataracts.

Its innovative square-edge membrane design prevents epithelial cell migration, significantly reducing PCO.

The Solea II, made with our patented Luminex Nanohybrid material, a hydrophobic acrylic, also eliminates glistenings – a common issue with current IOLs that degrades visual quality.

Therapeutics Pipeline

VII is developing a pipeline of innovative therapeutic eyedrops using a novel salt-carrier mechanism to deliver active pharmaceutical ingredients directly to the targeted area of the eye. These include:

  • Dexamethasone-based therapy for diabetic macular edema (DME).

  • Pilocarpine-based therapy for presbyopia.

  • Lipoic acid-based therapy for presbyopia.

These therapies are designed to be more accessible and easier to administer than existing treatments, especially in LMIC settings.

Preclinical studies are underway to demonstrate proof-of-concept for each.

Facilities

VII in conjunction with OTI has one of the most advanced Ophthalmic R&D and product testing facilities including the following:

  • 1. Full suite of mechanical testing

    2. Optical testing including wavefront analysis

    3. Multifocality and EDOF testing

  • 1. Physical  properties

    2. Optical properties

    3. Surface properties

    4. Extensive polymer chemistry analysis expertise - in collaboration with third party labs

  • 1. Most advanced real time accommodation testing using wavefront analysis

    2. Comprehensive behavior analysis in cadaver eyes and synthetic capsular bags

    3. Simulated ocular environment

News

Vision Innovation Institute (VII) was recently invited to speak and participate at the Legacy Builders conference, one of the foremost impact investment conferences globally.

This invitation provided a valuable platform to amplify our mission of curing treatable blindness and connect with impact investors working on projects worldwide.

The participation reinforced our commitment to transforming vision care and building sustainable solutions for global eye health.