Company: XPANCEO, Dubai, UAE
Company Description: XPANCEO is a deep-tech company that develops the first ultra-thin smart contact lenses for AR vision and health monitoring. The venture was founded by a team of experienced entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers and is supported by top international universities. 50% of the researchers have PhDs and boast a prolific citation record. XPANCEO’s lab was named a Top 5 optic laboratory by BCG.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Tech Startup of the Year- Hardware/Peripherals
 Nomination Title: XPANCEO
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since 1 January 2022, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 125 words used.
XPANCEO is a deep tech company that is developing the first smart contact lenses with AR vision and health monitoring features. The company was co-founded by Valentyn S. Volkov, a scientist with an h-Index of 38 and over 8000 citations in leading international publications, and Roman Axelrod, an experienced entrepreneur who supervised three successful exits.
With 50% of the research team boasting PhD, this year they have revealed 4 prototypes of smart contact lenses. Additionally, XPANCEO has announced in Nature Communications a groundbreaking discovery of new properties of rhenium diselenide and rhenium disulfide, enabling novel mode of light-matter interaction with huge potential for integrated photonics, healthcare, and AR. XPANCEO has also recently secured a $40 million seed round from a single investor, Opportunity Venture (Asia).
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 247 words used.
XPANCEO lab was named Top 5 optics laboratories in the world according to BCG and the Top 7 according to UAE Nature Index.
Over the past year the company has rigorously tested and presented 4 distinct prototypes, enabling night vision and zoom capabilities, real-time health monitoring, and the ability to view video and graphic content in AR. The new, all-in-one contacts will boast all these features while replacing bulky AR/VR glasses.
The first one is the holographic smart contact lens, which displays images, and iIn its final stage, it will provide an infinite XR experience and will allow the wearer to interact with content like video, social media, gaming, and more. The second product is a lens with biosensing capabilities that boasts continuous health monitoring capabilities, and interacts directly with the eye's surface. One of the features integrated in this lens was a biosensor that measures intraocular pressure. This aids in early glaucoma detection, a particularly important capability given the projected rise in glaucoma cases by 2040. The third prototype is a lens with nanoparticles for supervision. Nanoparticles are a million times thinner than human hair, and create a 'super material' when incorporated into the lens. This improves vision in low light and enables adaptive zooming capabilities. Lastly, there is a lens with transparent electronics. Featuring a working one-pixel display, this prototype solves the challenge of integrating electronics into a smart contact lens. It utilizes a patent-pending technology with quasi-two-dimensional gold conductors, enabling thin and flexible components.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 232 words used.
Combining 20+ potentially patented technologies in advanced optic and photonics, novel material, AI, and neural interfacing, enables XPANCEO the creation of ultra-compact and highly efficient optoelectronic devices in smart contact lenses. This is how Roman Axelrod and the team are creating an inclusive future that prioritizes health, education, innovation, and partnership, supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. For instance, if a person suffers from strabismus, they can use these lenses instead of corrective glasses and occluders. They will be beneficial both for prevention and treatment of strabismus. However, in the case of cataracts, when the lens becomes cloudy, contact lenses are not particularly recommended. Nevertheless, XPANCEO has advancements in the field of artificial lenses, which will be beneficial for patients suffering from cataracts.
This year XPANCEO team has also announced in Nature Communications a discovery of the new properties of Graphene-like materials enabling novel mode of light-matter interaction with huge potential for integrated photonics, healthcare, and AR. Among the promising applications is the development of highly efficient biochemical sensors. These sensors have the potential to outperform existing analogs in terms of both sensitivity and cost efficiency. For example, they are anticipated to significantly reduce the expenses associated with hospital blood testing equipment, which is currently quite costly, potentially by several orders of magnitude. This will also allow the detection of dangerous diseases and viruses, such as cancer or COVID, at earlier stages.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 88 words used.
With 50% of the research team boasting PhD, XPANCEO team has already revealed 4 prototypes of smart contact lenses. TechRadar article reveals those 4 prototypes presented this year.
Nature Communications article reveals a discovery of the new properties of Graphene-like materials ‘rhenium diselenide’ and ‘rhenium disulfide’. The articles on The Next Web and Interesting Engineering give practical insights on usage of these materials.
Forbes article features a commitment to epitomize technological innovation, promote personal health awareness, facilitate remote patient monitoring, and contribute to the management of non-communicable diseases.
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