STAAR Surgical

STAA

Lake Forest, United States· Est. 1982

staar.com

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Private Company

Total funding raised: $50M

Market Cap: $1.3BFounded: 1982Employees: 900+HQ: Lake Forest, United States

Sector Ranking#40 in Drug Delivery & Formulation

Overview

STAAR Surgical's mission is to design, develop, manufacture, and market implantable lenses that reduce or eliminate dependence on glasses and contact lenses. The company has achieved significant commercial traction, surpassing 4 million ICL units sold worldwide and operating in over 75 countries, which underscores the broad market acceptance of its technology. Its strategy centers on leveraging its proprietary Collamer material and vertical integration to drive innovation, expand indications, and capitalize on the global shift towards premium, lens-based refractive solutions. STAAR is a revenue-generating, publicly traded pure-play in the ophthalmology device sector.

OphthalmologyRefractive Surgery

Technology Platform

Proprietary Collamer material, a biocompatible copolymer of collagen and polymer, enabling foldable, implantable lenses with high biocompatibility and UV protection.

Funding History

Total raised:$50M

PIPE$50MUndisclosedDec 15, 2020

IPOUndisclosedUndisclosedJun 15, 1997

Opportunities

The primary opportunity lies in capturing significant market share from the entrenched laser refractive surgery market by promoting the ICL as a premium, reversible alternative with superior visual outcomes.

Further expansion is driven by geographic penetration in high-growth markets and the future potential of a presbyopia-correcting lens, which would open a vast new patient demographic.

Risk Factors

Key risks include regulatory hurdles for new indications, potential technological disruption from next-generation lasers or competing lens technologies, and operational risks associated with global supply chain management and scaling manufacturing.

The procedure's reliance on discretionary, out-of-pocket spending also exposes it to macroeconomic downturns.

Competitive Landscape

STAAR primarily competes against laser vision correction (LASIK/PRK/SMILE) offered by large device companies like Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision. Its competitive edge is built on its proprietary Collamer material, which offers unique biocompatibility and optical benefits, positioning the ICL as a premium, non-ablative solution. It faces limited direct competition from other phakic IOLs.