Deep Optics Raises US$4 Million in Funding to Revolutionize the Multifocal Glasses Market

Also sees opportunity for its electronic lens technology in AR/VR field

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Mar 02, 2016, 10:30 ET

PETACH TIKVA, Israel, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Deep Optics, a pioneer of dynamic focal glasses, has raised US$4 Million in a Series A funding round to fuel the development of its electronic lens and glasses system. The round includes strategic investor Essilor, the world leader in ophthalmic optics, Taiwan-based Atomics 14 Ventures and several private investors, including Saar Wilf, Deep Optics's Chairman and first investor.

Deep Optics brings a technological breakthrough to the multi-billion dollar multifocal market, aiming to provide alternative progressive glasses and new ophthalmic applications with electronic dynamic focal technologies based on its proprietary and patent-pending liquid crystal lenses. The Company was named the most promising start-up at the sixth annual Israel Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition (IMVC) in 2015.

"The human eye has a natural focusing ability that degrades with age. Current multifocal glasses compensate for this degradation, but they cannot offer adaptable correction power management. The dynamic solution we're developing is actually similar to the human focusing mechanism, and so in addition to its superior lens function, should be even easier to get used to with minimal, if any, adjustment required," explained Yariv Haddad, co-founder and CEO of Deep Optics.

Deep Optics is also exploring additional applications for its adaptive electronic lens technology. Two notable applications are AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) systems, which are likely to benefit from the addition of adaptive optics to future models. According to Haddad, Deep Optics has already started discussions with companies in this field.

Phil Chen, founder of Atomic 14 Ventures and ex Chief Content Officer at HTC Vive, HTC's acclaimed VR system, commented, "While first generation VR and AR systems are entering the consumer stage, and already attracting interest and expectation at a feverish pitch, it's clear that we are just at the beginning of this promising journey. There are still many challenges on the road to an immersive 3D virtual reality experience, or convincing mixed reality scenes. Deep Optics, with its unique adaptive optics capabilities, can significantly improve the depth perception and overall authenticity of the 3D experience by dynamically matching the optics focus to the content's simulated depth. In my view, this is a crucial breakthrough in the technological roadmap of this field, and I believe Deep Optics plays a key component in both the VR/AR software and hardware stack."

About Deep Optics

Deep Optics is the inventor and pioneer of Omnifocals, dynamic focal eyeglasses based on its proprietary and patent-pending Liquid Crystal lens technology. The glasses are designed to allow the two billion people requiring multifocal vision correction to see the world naturally and seamlessly. The founding team has extensive expertise in the design of electro optical systems and integration into consumer electronics products. Deep Optics is based in Petach Tikva, Israel. For more information, please visit www.deepoptics.com.

About Omnifocals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qMi55ejWmY.

About Atomic 14 Ventures

Atomic 14 is a Taiwan-based consumer hardware venture capital firm. Its belief is that "people who are really serious about software should make their own hardware," as Alan Kay the legendary American computer scientist once noted. Atomic 14's core competence is helping consumer hardware companies scale their hardware product and software strategy. Atomic 14 looks to invest into differentiated software companies that need to express themselves in hardware form, like a Tesla being software on wheels.

Press Contact:
Natalie Chouraqui
+972-54-4750-889
[email protected]

Company Contact:
Yariv Haddad, CEO
+972-54-316-8333
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160229/338529

SOURCE Deep Optics