GLASGOW—IbisVision, a Glasgow-based company advancing approaches to remote and over-the-internet eyecare, has announced it is bringing its updated technology to the U.S. The company, backed by a consortium led by Miami-based Compiler Venture Capital in a recent $5.6 million funding round, will be debuting a technology which allows for optometrists to determine a prescription over the internet, with hardware that’s a fraction of the cost of traditional eyecare systems, the company stated. Commenting on the launch, IbisVision CEO Mark Roger said, "This is the breakthrough we've all been waiting for—allowing an optometrist to test for and issue a prescription online.

"This opens up huge potential in making eyecare available to all and in turbocharging e-commerce behind the optometry field. It allows for optometrists to serve communities without investing vast amounts in cumbersome machinery," Roger said.

The company will debut its Ibis-Connect platform at Vision Expo West this month. The company describes Ibis-Connect as "The first objective over-the-internet technology from which to prescribe corrective lenses. Not only does the system just require a simple internet connection, the patient uses a proprietary Remote Refraction Tool (RRT) that costs a few cents to produce, compared to the traditional machines that can cost thousands of dollars for opticians to acquire."

The company is targeting independent optical businesses as well as regional and national U.S. optical players, executives said. The company is supporting its expansion with a new Miami-based head of U.S. operations.

The technology builds on IbisVision’s existing eye-health internet platform, whose capabilities have expanded from a single test to now offering 11 different eye examinations, and bases its accuracy on being able to continually measure the patient’s distance from the camera on their computer. The company said Ibis-Connect is FDA listed, CE marked and HIPAA compliant.

IbisVision is backed by Compiler VC, Deepbridge and Scottish Growth Investments.