Aston Uni spin-out Eyoto eyes funding to improve tele-optometry perception

Last year I wrote about a couple of UK start-ups that had (independently) developed portable retina scanners that hold the promise of improving the diagnosis of eye disease, especially important in less developed countries (see Scotland’s visionary start-up Epipole raises £1.5m and Angels sharpen visual acuity of Occuity’s eye scanner). Eyoto fits into this picture, figuratively speaking, with its tele-optometry platform which allows for remote eye diagnosis anywhere in the world.

Founded in 2013 as a spinout from Aston University’s School of Optometry (and formerly known as Aston Eyetech), Eyoto initially developed a range of products called eMap that conduct rapid and detailed surface inspections of glasses for retailers and manufacturers. The new Eyoto tele-optometry platform was due for launch in late 2020.

To back its development, Eyoto has raised £2.5m in funding from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), managed Midven, and other investors such as Mercia Asset Management, the Future Fund and a group of angel investors. Mercia had previously led a £5m Series A round for (then) Aston EyeTech back in November 2017.

As Eyoto’s website notes, despite ‘exponential’ growth in demand for tele-medicine and remote health technology, tele-optometry remains an emerging, but often overlooked, segment of the tele-medicine market. Eyoto aims to improve that perception!

Posted by: Anthony Miller

Tags: funding   startup   telehealth  

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