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§ Private Profile · 525 York St. San Francisco, CA 94110
Vivid Vision is a technology company.
Vivid Vision develops a specialized virtual reality system aimed at treating various vision disorders. Its core product utilizes immersive VR environments to assess and enhance visual function, specifically addressing conditions such as amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, and strabismus, or crossed eyes. This technology offers a non-invasive approach to vision therapy, engaging users in therapeutic exercises within a controlled digital space.
The company was co-founded in 2013 by James Blaha and Manish Gupta. Blaha’s personal experience with amblyopia, and his success in improving his own vision through the early development of the software, provided the foundational insight for the venture. This direct engagement with the problem informed the creation of a system designed to effectively tackle complex visual impairments using novel methods.
Vivid Vision primarily serves patients seeking advanced treatment for binocular vision disorders, delivered through optometrists and ophthalmologists who integrate the system into their clinical practices. The company's vision is to make effective, technology-driven vision therapy widely available, helping individuals improve their sight and quality of life by leveraging the unique capabilities of virtual reality.
Vivid Vision has raised $2.7M across 2 funding rounds.
Vivid Vision has raised $2.7M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Vivid Vision has raised $2.7M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Vivid Vision's investors include Uncork Capital, 7percent Ventures, Accel, ACME Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Anorak Ventures, Coatue, Crosslink Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Haystack, Liquid 2 Ventures, Lumia Capital.
Vivid Vision has raised $2.7M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in May 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2017 | $2M Seed | Uncork Capital | 7percent Ventures, Accel, ACME Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Anorak Ventures, Coatue, Crosslink Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Haystack, Liquid 2 Ventures, Lumia Capital, Matrix, Mayfield, Pathbreaker Ventures, Sacramento Angels, Sierra Ventures, Susa Ventures, UpHonest Capital, Eytan Elbaz, Gautam Shah, John Collison, Louis Beryl, Matt Mazzeo, Samvit Ramadurgam, Shervin Pishevar, CRCM Ventures, SOSV, The Venture Reality Fund | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2014 | $700K Seed | — | Mayfield, Sacramento Angels | Announced |
Vivid Vision is a San Francisco-based technology company specializing in virtual reality (VR) software for vision care, primarily treating binocular vision dysfunctions like amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and convergence insufficiency.[1][2][3] It offers in-clinic and at-home systems with interactive exercises to improve stereo depth perception and visual function, serving eye care professionals, patients (children and adults), and now expanding into clinical trial endpoints for conditions like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), geographic atrophy (GA), and glaucoma via its Vivid Vision Perimetry (VVP) tool, which provides precise, mobile visual field testing.[1][2][3] The company solves persistent gaps in traditional vision therapy by making engaging, doctor-prescribed VR exercises accessible, with recent growth in perimetry applications showing 6.8x better precision than standard methods and adoption in global phase 3 trials.[3]
Founded in 2013 (formerly Diplopia), Vivid Vision has built a niche in healthcare tech with patented innovations in ophthalmology and mixed reality, holding 9 patents, and competes with firms like Heru and M2S in XR-based vision diagnostics.[1]
Vivid Vision emerged in 2013 in San Francisco, California, initially under the name Diplopia, as founders recognized the limitations of conventional treatments for common vision disorders affecting millions.[1][2] The core idea stemmed from leveraging VR to create immersive, gamified exercises that retrain the brain's visual processing—addressing issues like poor depth perception that glasses or surgery often fail to fix fully.[1][3] Early traction came from eye care clinics adopting their systems for supervised therapy, evolving from basic amblyopia/strabismus tools to a broader platform including home-use devices and advanced perimetry for retinal diseases.[2][3] Pivotal moments include winning top honors in the 2019 Medical Capital Innovation Competition alongside peers like MediView XR, validating their AR/VR approach in healthcare, and recent clinical validations positioning VVP as a preferred tool in GA trials.[2][3]
Vivid Vision rides the wave of VR/AR in healthcare, particularly ophthalmology, where digital therapeutics address rising demand for non-invasive treatments amid aging populations and unmet needs in vision disorders affecting 1 in 4 people.[1][3] Timing aligns with XR headset maturation (e.g., affordable mobile VR) and regulatory shifts favoring digital endpoints in trials, accelerating pharma adoption for diseases like GA/AMD where precise monitoring is critical.[3] Market forces like tele-optometry growth post-pandemic and AI/VR convergence favor them, positioning Vivid against competitors like Heru (AR diagnostics) and M2S (XR therapy) while influencing ecosystems through clinical validations and provider networks.[1] They democratize vision care, bridging consumer VR tech with medical-grade tools to enhance trial efficiency and patient outcomes.
Vivid Vision's pivot to perimetry endpoints signals a leap from therapy to diagnostics, potentially disrupting clinical trials and pharma pipelines for retinal diseases. Next steps likely include FDA clearances for VVP, global provider expansion, and partnerships with big pharma leveraging its trial-proven precision. Trends like AI-enhanced VR and home-based ophthalmology will propel growth, evolving their role from niche trainer to essential platform in a $10B+ vision tech market—ultimately enabling more patients to "discover a world with depth perception."[3] This builds on their VR foundation, promising scaled impact in personalized eye health.