Company: C. Light Technologies, Medford MA
Nomination Submitted by: Cooth
Company Description: C. Light Technologies, Inc. is an AI-driven health tech company whose primary mission is to create digital tools and solutions to assess eye and brain health. C. Light redefines the boundaries of human healthcare and performance, leading the charge toward a future where precision and innovation unite. Their retinal tracking device, the Retitrack™ stands at the forefront of this advancement.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Female Entrepreneur – Business Products –10 or Less Employees
 Nomination Title: Christy Sheehy-Bensinger, Founder & CEO
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 230 words used.
This past month, the Retitrack™ became the first FDA 510(k)-cleared eye-movement monitor capturing high-resolution retinal videos. C. Light's advanced software utilizes the data from these videos to generate actionable and comprehensive reports for clinicians, enabling early detection and earlier intervention. C. Light aims to accelerate proactive healthcare for diseases like Alzheimers and Dementia, establishing the Retitrack™ as an industry-wide tool that is used globally during standard physical exams.
In addition, Christy was one of 10 founders selected and inducted into the Summer 2021 Milestone Makers Cohort with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. The competitive program exists to support entrepreneurs who are solving the world’s biggest problems focused on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Christy has also spearheaded 10 clinical trials (and counting) to validate her device’s use in neurological disease! C. Light is currently running multiple IRB-approved clinical studies with the Retitrack studying MS and Alzheimer’s with University of California San Francisco (UCSF), TBI/Concussion with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC); and early age-related macular degeneration with Ora Clinical.
Christy is currently a mentor for resident startup founders at MIT’s Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship, holding office hours for their Delta V accelerator program that enables students to build their own dreams. Christy also advises students at Harvard’s Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and was recently a pitch coach and judge at their New Venture Competition this past March 2023.
- 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 225 words used.
Attached you will find, first and foremost, the press release from the FDA 510k approval for the Retitrack™ device which outlines the use for the device with this approval. In addition, you’ll find two websites with proof of fundraising capabilities including one press release from their initial seed round as well as their Crunchbase profile which includes some additional funding.
We have also included multiple abstracts from Christy and other scientists about fixational eye movements in relation to concussions, as well as ocular motor function in relation to MS – both topics the Retitrack™ will have an effect on with future use cases.
In addition, we’ve included some material regarding Christy’s accomplishments as of late: an announcement as a moderator for a data/AI panel at Startup Boston, an announcement for her speaking opportunity at the Smith-Kettlewell Institute, a feature on the Achiiv podcast about building a research-based startup from scratch, an article featuring C. Light Tech as one of Berkeley’s 14 best med device startups, an article BizWomen wrote featuring Christy as CEO of C. Light, and another feature on Christy by We Are Tech Women. Christy’s personal and professional accomplishments are being noticed and recognized not only by her peers, but by a wide network of accomplished people who understand the impact her work will have on healthcare for the rest of our lifetime.
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2021 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (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 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 submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below.
URLS Linked in the attachment section.
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
Christy’s biggest accomplishment is the invention of the Retitrack–the first retinal eye-movement monitor cleared for use in healthcare–during her time as a PhD student at UC Berkeley. At the time of invention, similar devices were being created for ~$250,000 a piece. Christy was not only able to create her own device for ~$50,000 but created a solution with more accuracy and efficiency than anyone could have anticipated.
The Retitrack is an eye movement monitor used for recording, viewing, measuring, and analyzing fixation and saccadic responses. It provides the ability to detect changes a patient may experience but clinicians don’t have tools to see. It captures movements the size of 1/4th of a human hair, and does not require dilation drops: you rest your chin on the chin rest and focus your eyes for the 10-second recording. This solution provides clinicians with better understanding of oculomotor function via the retina, providing concrete and objective metrics.
Christy since took her invention from the university setting to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and created C. Light. Fast-forward nearly 9 years later, and Christy is leading a team of experts to bring this flagship device to market and change the future of healthcare forever.
- 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 nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 216 words used.
Getting 510k approval by the FDA on the Retitrack™ marks a significant milestone for proactive and preventative healthcare globally. The impact is massive. The Retitrack unlocks a new understanding and insight into oculomotor function via the retina, providing concrete and objective metrics to medical professionals. Not only that, but this device, created under Christy’s leadership, stands alone as the first retinal eye-movement monitor cleared for use within the healthcare field which is dominated by men. At the University of Rochester, Christy was one of two women in her graduating optical engineering undergraduate class, and this trend has persisted throughout her career.
On top of that, with less than 3% of venture capital funds invested in women-led businesses, Christy has been able to create her vision by raising more than $6 million in pre-seed and seed funding and was awarded in addition a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute of Health to further study the impact of visual fixation after concussion. On average, only 20-30% of NIH applicants receive funding. Additionally, Christy secured a Contract Research Organization partnership for a greater-Boston based clinical trial endpoint, unlocking revenue of $1m per trial in ophthalmology. She is consistently defeating the odds when it comes to women-led achievements in the healthcare industry, and this is just the beginning.
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