Precision IOP tracking, tear-fluid biosensing and more. This lens could redefine “smart” in eye care.
Move over, smart glasses. Dubai-based startup XPANCEO wants to put the future of health tech directly on the eyeball, and it just scored a cool $250 million in Series A funding to do it.
XPANCEO is developing what it calls the world’s first AI-powered smart contact lens, promising advanced health monitoring features that could have eye care professionals leaning in. Among its key capabilities? Intraocular pressure (IOP) tracking with reportedly 50% more precision than existing solutions, opening the door to better continuous, non-invasive glaucoma monitoring.
Another version of the lens includes a tear-fluid biosensor to detect biomarkers like glucose, cortisol, sex hormones and key vitamins.
XPANCEO announces the news on its LinkedIn page.
“To build something this ambitious, we had to push the boundaries of science itself,” said Dr. Valentyn Volkov, cofounder and scientific partner at XPANCEO, in a news release. “Our team possesses exceptional expertise at the forefront of physics, including on novel materials, nanoparticles development, nano-optics and more.”
READ MORE: From AR to Night Vision: What Does the Future of Contact Lenses Look Like?
Tech specs
According to XPANCEO, these featherweight lenses combine nanophotonics, biosensing, AI and extended reality (XR). Integrated microdisplays project augmented reality directly onto the retina, with a 30° field of view and ultra-low power consumption of just one to three µW of power. That’s up to 300 times more efficient than most AR headsets.
Not stopping there, XPANCEO is working on smart lens prototypes with night vision and color correction, using nanoparticle engineering to support low-light vision and compensate for color blindness.
@cnetdotcom Like something out of a sci-fi movie, XPANCEO is testing the limits of vision tech with these smart contact lens prototypes, which may have have health and app uses in the future. Would you stick these in your eyes? 👀 #xpanceo #contactlenses #biotechnology #futuretech #mwc2025 ♬ original sound – CNET
CNET explores the capabilities of XPANCEO’s smart contact lenses.
“There’s broad consensus across Big Tech that AI-powered wearable XR is the future. Yet, major players have only recently begun building glasses and headsets, so our smart lens technology puts us at least five years ahead,” said Roman Axelrod, cofounder and managing partner at XPANCEO.
READ MORE: Emerging Waves in Digital Eye Health: From AI Models to Smartphone Clinics
The money behind the magic
The funding round was led by Opportunity Venture (Asia), which also backed XPANCEO’s earlier $40 million seed round. With this latest raise, the company is now valued at $1.35 billion, officially making it the UAE’s 12th unicorn.
XPANCEO was founded in 2019 after Ukrainian physicist Dr. Valentyn Volkov and Russian entrepreneur Roman Axelrod met at a global science and innovation conference.
“We see XPANCEO as a once-in-a-generation project,” said Philip Ma, managing director of Opportunity Venture (Asia). “They’re not just building a product, they’re rewriting the rules of personal tech.”
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