Meet the Winners of the 2025 VSP Vision Innovation Challenge 

The VSP Global Innovation Center and MATTER, the premier healthcare and innovation hub, in partnership with The Vision Council and Topcon Healthcare, Inc., have announced the winners of the second VSP Vision Innovation Challenge, a global competition to source and advance solutions enhancing the eye care experience. 

The winners were announced after the six finalists—three early-stage and three late-stage—presented their solutions live on stage during Vision Expo West, the optical industry’s largest gathering of vision care professionals and executives, on September 18 in Las Vegas. 

The early-stage winner of the Challenge is Vitazi.ai, an AI-powered decision support platform enabling the early detection of various conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disorders, through a retinal scan.

The late-stage winner is Reyedar, the creator of eye-tracking AI for early detection of glaucoma, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, designed for both optical retail and hospital environments. 

After hearing pitches from all six finalists, attendees of the final showcase were invited to vote for the Audience Choice winner, which was Muse AI, an AI eyewear recommendation tool that independent optometrists and retailers can use to create a personalized pre-shopping discovery experience for their customers.

“The VSP Vision Innovation Challenge was an incredible experience for our team,” said Jeremy Steuven, CEO of Vitazi.ai. “When Vitazi.ai was announced as a winner, it was both humbling and energizing. This recognition affirms the importance of bringing oculomics into everyday eye care, and it motivates us to keep advancing preventive healthcare together with our partners.” 

The remaining finalists that participated in the Challenge were Soliddd, the creator of AR glasses for macular degeneration that restore full-field sight to functionally blind people; Remidio, makers of portable, AI-enabled screening tech to enable remote, asynchronous eye exams; and Vivid Vision, a VR-based vision therapy system treating various vision problems such as amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and more. 

Before the live pitch event, the finalists participated in a four-week boot camp from August 11 to September 5 to enhance and refine their pitch and receive mentorship from leading vision care, venture capital, and healthcare professionals.  

Click here for more information about the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge.  

For more vision innovation news and updates, check out the Global Innovation Center's LinkedIn page.