In a new push to scale innovation in the sector, impact investor and incubator Villgro Africa, working with global eye-care NGO The Fred Hollows Foundation, has unveiled the 2026 Eye Health Accelerator Cohort, a group of high-potential startups from across the continent developing solutions to expand access to affordable eye care in underserved communities.
The cohort brings together eight ventures from Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, all focused on solving structural gaps in screening, diagnosis and treatment in low-resource settings. Through the accelerator, the companies will receive catalytic capital, technical support and market access designed to help scale their solutions and reach millions of people currently excluded from basic eye-care services.
Villgro Africa said the selected ventures were chosen for their ability to address critical bottlenecks in the eye-health value chain, particularly in rural and low-income areas where shortages of optometrists, equipment and affordable eyewear remain acute.
“These innovators were chosen for their potential to solve critical challenges in screening, diagnosis, and treatment within low-resource settings. Through this program, we are providing the catalytic capital, technical guidance and market access needed to scale these solutions and restore sight to those who need it most.” Villgro Africa said.
A growing crisis in eye health
Across Africa, access to vision care remains deeply unequal. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 100 million Africans live with vision impairment, with the vast majority of cases either preventable or treatable through simple interventions such as corrective lenses or early screening.
Yet many countries face severe shortages of specialists. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa there may be fewer than one optometrist per million people, forcing patients to travel long distances for diagnosis or treatment. The result is a large productivity loss across the continent’s workforce, particularly among students, farmers and informal workers whose livelihoods depend heavily on functional eyesight.
Against this backdrop, African startups are increasingly turning to digital health platforms, mobile diagnostics and community-based models to close the gap.
Startups targeting Africa’s eye-care gaps
Among the selected companies is Zuri Health from Kenya, founded by Ikechukwu Arthur Anoke with Daisy Isiaho, which operates optical-focused health camps supported by a digital health platform. The system screens patients for refractive errors, diabetic eye complications and cataracts, while offering affordable prescription glasses on site and managing referrals and follow-ups through digital tools.
Another Kenyan startup, Dot Glasses, led by co-CEOs Adam Boxer and Bradley Heslop, is tackling the shortage of eye-care professionals by producing affordable, durable eyeglasses that can be assembled without an optometrist. Its snap-in lens system removes a major barrier to distribution, while the company also runs vision kits and micro-entrepreneur training programmes to expand local access to eyecare.
Also in Kenya, Mamy Eyewear, founded by Antoine Drouet with Rhea Somaia as Head of Optometry, operates a vertically integrated optical retail model combining low-cost eyewear, rapid service delivery and AI-enabled eye screening technology.
From Liberia, Techsight, co-founded by Alfred Tamba Bundor, Frank Mulbah Koikoi and Gaylay Duward Saygbe, runs an optical store supported by portable diagnostic kits that allow convenient screening for eye conditions. The company locally assembles eyeglasses and distributes them around Monrovia, partnering with trained community health assistants who conduct screenings and refer complex conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy to specialist clinics.
Uganda contributes two ventures to the cohort. Wazi Vision, led by Brenda Katwesigye and Georgette Ndabukiye, produces locally designed eyeglass frames using sustainable materials including cow horn, bamboo and recycled denim, while also organising community eye-screening camps and education programmes to raise awareness about vision correction.
Meanwhile, Sante Initiative founded by Dr Irene Mbabazi and Dr Derrick Bary Abila, is expanding access to care in rural communities using mobile screening applications operated by trained volunteer health workers. The organisation offers affordable glasses through subsidised pricing and instalment payment models, addressing affordability barriers that prevent many patients from seeking treatment.
Zimbabwe’s telemedicine-driven approach
Zimbabwe is represented by ZimSmart Villages, founded by Dr Faith Nyaradzo Karingani, Dr Admore Jokwiro and Tawanda Njerere. The venture deploys telemedicine, portable diagnostic tools, mobile clinics and trained community health workers to expand access to eye care across underserved regions of the country.
Its model enables early detection of eye diseases, remote specialist consultations and affordable screenings and spectacles, targeting communities that traditionally lack access to ophthalmology services.
AI and hybrid care models
The cohort also includes New Online Optics from Ethiopia, co-founded by Eyob Dejene, Fasika Gizaw and Feven Mebratu. The platform combines AI-enabled vision testing, virtual frame fitting and hybrid online-offline eyewear purchasing, allowing customers to conduct eye tests at home and receive prescription glasses through rapid delivery services.
By digitising large parts of the optical retail process, the company aims to make eye care more convenient for busy workers and students, while dramatically reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment.
A broader shift in African health innovation
The new accelerator cohort reflects a broader shift in Africa’s startup landscape, where entrepreneurs are increasingly focusing on practical, scalable health technologies designed for low-income environments rather than replicating models from wealthier markets.
Digital health has become one of the continent’s fastest-growing innovation sectors. African health-tech startups have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in venture funding over the past decade, with solutions spanning telemedicine, diagnostics, supply-chain systems and AI-powered medical tools.
Eye care, however, has historically received far less attention despite its economic impact. Poor vision is estimated to cost the global economy more than $400 billion annually in lost productivity, a burden that falls disproportionately on developing regions.
Accelerator programmes such as the Villgro Africa initiative are increasingly seen as critical in bridging the gap between early innovation and scalable deployment. By providing funding, mentorship and access to health systems, they enable startups to move from pilot projects to national and regional markets.
For Africa’s entrepreneurs, the opportunity extends beyond healthcare. Building sustainable eye-care ecosystems from local eyewear manufacturing to digital screening platforms and community-based distribution networks is also creating new industries, jobs and supply chains.
Villgro Africa says the selected startups represent “a group of high-potential innovators dedicated to revolutionising eye health in Africa”, with solutions designed to restore sight and improve quality of life for millions who currently lack access to basic vision care.
As the cohort begins the accelerator programme, the startups will attempt to scale technologies that could reshape how eye care is delivered across the continent bringing affordable, technology-driven vision services closer to the communities that need them most.
