Essilor recently announced it was launching an open innovation challenge to facilitate access to vision care in underserved populations.
Called the See Change Challenge, the initiative aims to uncover low-cost, easy-to-use and scalable solutions that can be used by primary vision care providers in underserved areas to accurately measure eye refractive errors. Essilor is looking to optometrists, start-ups, universities, app developers, scientists, engineers, and others to submit proposals that would ultimately allow more people to be easily trained to become primary eye care workers in underserved regions.
Through the challenge, up to five winners of the first phase will each reportedly early 25,000 € (about $27,600) in cash and will have the chance to enter the second phase of the challenge, where there will be an additional 100,000 € (about $110,400) in cash for up to two final winners. Essilor will also potentially support the final winners with development contracts to help them build and scale up their solutions.
Proposal for the See Change Challenge are due by October 21, 2016. For more information, visit the Essilor Sea Change Challenge website.
Click here to read the full press release.