VSP Vision has invited emerging technologies and startups elevating the eye care experience to submit applications for the 2027 VSP Vision Innovation Challenge. Submissions for this global competition should be designed to help expand access to eye care, modernize the patient experience, unlock practice and provider efficiencies, and provide further innovation.
Applicants will be asked to demonstrate the eye care need their solution addresses, supporting evidence and feasibility, their team and business model, and their readiness to participate in an accelerator program.
Deadline and Process
Applications will be accepted for the global competition now through Dec. 4, 2026. Following a multi-round selection process, finalists will participate in a virtual four-week accelerator, Feb. 2-27, 2027. During this time, finalists will work with mentors, optometrists, clinical experts, and VSP Vision leaders to assess product fit, refine their value propositions, and prepare to showcase their ideas to the broader eye care community.
The experience will culminate when finalists pitch their solutions on March 11, 2027, on the Vision Expo Innovation Stage during Vision Expo 2027 in Las Vegas.
“Some of the most meaningful advances in eye care can start with an idea developed outside the traditional boundaries of our industry,” says Will Flanagan, head of Programs and Partnerships for the VSP Global Innovation Center, which organizes the annual challenge. “Through the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge, we want to find those innovators, connect them with eye care expertise, and give them an opportunity to put their solutions in front of the people who understand the needs of providers and patients firsthand.”
Previous Winners
Now in its fourth year, the VSP Vision Innovation Challenge is presented in partnership with The Vision Council and RX Global, organizers of Vision Expo.
Previous challenges have brought together innovators working across AI-driven diagnostics, exam automation, digital education, and accessibility-focused smart solutions. In 2026, decision support platform Altris AI was named the Judge’s Winner, while Captify, smartglasses for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, received the Audience Choice honor.