Associate Professor Simon Skalicky has been recognised as the winner of SmartCompany’s final early-stage start–up competition for 2023, announced on 30 November.
Assoc/Prof Skalicky won the event with his medtech start-up known as Eyeonic, that he developed to make glaucoma testing easier and more accessible.
“Our mission is to improve the method of detecting glaucoma, by online testing,” he told SmartCompany.
Assoc/Prof Skalicky is engaging with health ministers and governments around the world about implementing the technology in the field
AI for Visual Field Testing
Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), Eyeonic can use any laptop or tablet to test visual fields at home, with results made available for optometrist or ophthalmologist analysis online then reported back to the patient.
Assoc/Prof Skalicky said Eyeonic makes testing cheaper, saves floor space in consulting rooms and clinics and, has application in “public health institutions around the world that are struggling to cope with the costs and the demands of managing chronic illnesses like glaucoma and are looking for telehealth solutions, and are looking to add remote monitoring to their mix”.
Assoc/Prof Skalicky is engaging with health ministers and governments around the world about implementing the technology in the field. He is also collaborating with global tech experts to ensure the platform is scientifically validated and proven by research.
Assoc/Prof Skalicky won the pitch after presenting Eyeonic to members of the Melbourne start-up community as well as guest judges Rachel Yang of Giant Leap, Claire Bristow of Skalata Ventures, Rahul Kesavan of AWS, and Mitch Hancock of BlueRock. The panel recognised Assoc/Prof Skalicky’s “large addressable market, ambition, passion, global strategy, and a clear pitch”.
As the Pitch winner, Eyeonic will receive AWS Activate credits, mentoring sessions, and a grants review from BlueRock as it works towards its mission of making glaucoma testing easier and more affordable.
