iNovation Innovators Den Boosts Eye Care Pioneers

At last year’s Innovators Den during the annual ESCRS iNovation Day in Barcelona, Maria Iglesias MD, PhD, picked up a valuable idea for a tonometer she is developing that more accurately measures intraocular pressure (IOP) in post-LASIK patients. The device uses a convex prism to applanate the cornea, which helps compensate for central corneal weakening, producing readings that more closely replicate pre-LASIK IOP values than the flat prism in the standard Goldmann applanation tonometer.

“Winning the Innovators Den brought interest in [lenticle extraction refractive surgery] patients as a possible research group,” Dr Iglesias explained. “We will be able to get new information that has never been evaluated before about the potential applicability of this device, which may lead us to new market possibilities.”

She also added more clinical trial partners on advice from the competition judges.

Strength through competition

Innovators Den is an iNovation competition in which ophthalmic entrepreneurs pitch their developing technologies. Dozens of contestants receive mentors, advice on business models and pitches, and exposure to key opinion leaders, investors, and other expert resources. Three finalists present during a designated session on iNovation Day. One is chosen the winner by an expert panel in front of an audience of ophthalmologists, investors, and industry representatives.

“Participating in this contest has been incredible in terms of visibility and international recognition,” she said. “It has allowed us to connect with people that would be quite difficult to access otherwise.”

The contacts helped secure needed resources in business planning, marketing, financing, design, and manufacturing, Dr Iglesias added. “The LASIK tonometer project has reached the point where we needed to start a company to access the market. We are currently in the process of getting its CE marking and approval by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products.” She anticipates it will be commercially available in 2026.

Towards a phase 1 trial

Jean Garrec, another Innovators Den finalist, also gained valuable exposure for his company’s topical bioadhesive tablet that resides under the lower eyelid, steadily releasing eye medications for 7 days. On track to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial as a new glaucoma drug, this self-applied insert addresses limitations of eye drops—including inconsistent concentration, wasted drugs, and poor compliance—without the need for invasive injectable implants. The start-up, BIOPHTA, is also developing a treatment for macular oedema, clearing the way for gene therapy to one day be possible.

In addition to informing influential ophthalmologists about BIOPHTA’s innovations, iNovation Day helped inform representatives of several large pharmaceutical companies. Big Pharma’s involvement as co-development partners or licensees is crucial to bringing new pharmaceutical products to market, which takes 10 to 15 years and large investments, Dr Garrec said.

“We are a young start-up at a very early stage of development (compared to other pharmaceutical companies),” he said. “Any opportunity to gain visibility, any opportunity to stand up on the stage and tell people what we are doing is beneficial.”

Finishing design touches

The third finalist, Harilaos Ginis PhD, is now finalising software for a device designed to quantify retinal vision quality in patients with multifocal or other advanced technology intraocular lenses. It will help ophthalmologists understand the visual complaints of patients with good visual acuity but poor vision by near-instantaneous measurement of factors that can degrade image quality, such as contrast, diffractive phenomena, and chromatic and other aberrations.

“While the core functionality of the device is complete, we’re now refining the interface to ensure it integrates seamlessly into clinical workflows,” he said.

On the commercialisation side, Dr Ginis’ company, Diestia Systems, recently secured two European research and innovation grants and seeks additional funding from investors. “We’re preparing for the regulatory pathway ahead—which, as with any medical device, can be lengthy and complex.”

Dr Ginis, too, found the Innovators Den experience rewarding. “The mentorship we received was incredibly valuable in helping us sharpen our pitch, identify key strategic priorities, and better align our messaging with market expectations. Just as importantly, the positive feedback from the committee, audience, and fellow innovators was both encouraging and validating. […] Being selected as one of the three finalists in such a competitive field was a great honour and helped raise awareness of our technology.”

The 4th ESCRS iNovation Day is on Friday, 12 September 2025, from 8:30–16:00 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, immediately before the opening of the main ESCRS Congress. For information or to apply for the Innovators Den, go to the iNovation webpage.

Maria Iglesias MD, PhD, FEBO is an ophthalmologist and inventor with Barraquer Ophthalmology Centre, Barcelona, Spain. mariaiglesiasalvarez@gmail.com

Jean Garrec PharmD, MBA is founder and CEO of BIOPHTA, Paris, France.jean.garrec@biophta.com

Harilaos Ginis PhD is senior scientist and co-founder of Diestia Systems, Athens, Greece. harilaos@diestia.com