Lensbox Launches 480+ First-to-Market Eye Care Patient Experience Centers in the US and Canada

Lensbox has announced the launch of 480+ Lensbox EyeDocs. The "bricks and clicks technology" features fully automated patient experience centers that integrate with the Lensbox first-to-market app, tying in tele-optometry, e-commerce, and point-of-sale technology for eyewear retail, according to Lensbox. 

Lensbox was launched in 2018 by doctors of optometry, and CEO and co-founder, Sheila Sanaz Bissonnette, a former global M&A executive at Essilor-Luxottica. Ms. Bissonnette started Lensbox with the aim of ensuring eye care services and e-commerce are delivered with the health and safety of patients in mind, and for eye care professionals to own advanced virtual eye care technology.

"Sanaz has consistently advocated for eye care patients and professionals and has worked diligently to innovate the eye care space,” Matt Michniewicz, OD, and Lensbox Director of Optometric Partnerships, said in a company news release. “Under her leadership, we have developed first-to-market technologies for practitioners, flipping the script in the eye care industry, placing eye care professionals back in the driver's seat. It’s thrilling to see her vision come to life with a compliant technology, which offers the most accurate, in-app eye care assessments in the world, without the use of rulers or credit card (current practice), as well as many other AI powered diagnostics tools and high quality eyecare products.”  

Lensbox EyeDocs apps web-based platform and point-of-sale technology are integrated in a first-to-market, proprietary suite of products—designed, owned, and funded by independent doctors of optometry. Lensbox takes care of the backend logistics, marketing, compliance, and operations, while offering remote tele-optometry and patient experiences.  

“EyeDocs is taking a traditional brick and mortar optometry practice and bringing it to the digital age, allowing ECPs to flourish and compete with the online world,” says Dr. Sunil Parekh, optometrist and Lensbox Investor. “The commodification of eye care products, mass industry consolidations, and unregulated e-commerce players, has exacerbated the economic and societal cost of vision loss and made it difficult for ECPs to thrive, as independent practitioners and small business owners. ECPs can now be market leaders with this technology.” 

Lensbox has raised $520,000 to date from physicians, governemnt grants, optometry schools, and non-profit foundations.