What XPANCEO does

XPANCEO is a Dubai-headquartered deep-tech company, founded in 2021 by Roman Axelrod and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, that is developing a smart contact lens as a single invisible computing platform integrating AR/XR display, biometrics, biosensing, night vision, color correction, and wireless power. Its technical stack combines proprietary 2D/quasi-2D gold transparent conductors, van der Waals and 2D nanophotonic materials, electrochemical tear-fluid biosensors, a custom high-efficiency on-body antenna paired with a compact companion device, and an integrated solid-state microbattery co-developed with France-based ITEN. On top of the platform architecture, XPANCEO is fielding standalone application lenses for glaucoma management (with an AI model trained on 10,000+ IOP measurements), medicine-level tear diagnostics for cancer and thrombosis, holographic AR vision for frontier environments, color-blindness correction, biometric authentication, passive moiré-pattern eye-tracking (~0.3° precision), and an intracorneal retinal projection implant co-developed with Italy-based INTRA-KER for corneal-blindness patients.

The company is currently pre-revenue, with commercial sales not yet started. Go-to-market is event-driven (MWC Barcelona, VivaTech Paris, GITEX Global Dubai, GITEX AI Europe Berlin) and partnership-driven in the near term, with a planned B2B/enterprise motion first targeting medical, aerospace, defense, and industrial customers by 2028, followed by a direct-to-consumer launch of the all-in-one smart contact lens in the early 2030s (most recently cited as 2033–2035). XPANCEO has raised $290 million across two rounds (a $40M seed in October 2023 and a $250M Series A in July 2025, both led by Opportunity Venture (Asia)) at a $1.35 billion unicorn valuation, employs 100+ scientists and engineers (more than half PhDs), and has filed 50+ patent applications alongside 300+ peer-reviewed publications. A Scientific Advisory Board chaired by Nobel Laureate Sir Konstantin Novoselov provides scientific oversight, and a multi-stage validation collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is underway.

Name

XPANCEO

Legal name

XPANCEO Research On Natural Science L.L.C. S.O.C.

Website

https://xpanceo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

XPANCEO is a Dubai-based deep-tech company developing a smart contact lens that fuses AR display, biometric biosensing, wireless power, and AI into a single invisible computing platform, currently targeting medical, aerospace, defense, and industrial enterprise customers with planned consumer availability in the early 2030s.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Contact Lens Wearables

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dry Eye & Ocular Surface Devices (Meibography, Tear Osmolarity, IPL, Thermal Pulsation) (HLAHAJAF), Glaucoma Diagnostics & Surgical Devices (Tonometry, Gonioscopy, MIGS, Drainage Implants, Laser Trabeculoplasty) (HLAHAJAI), Low Vision & Assistive Vision Devices (Magnifiers, Electronic Video Magnifiers, Wearable Vision Aids) (HLAHAJAN), Wearable Computers (Industrial Smart Glasses/Wrist/Arm-Mount) (HDACALAH), Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)

Keywords

• Smart contact lenses
• Augmented reality wearables
• Nanophotonic optics
• Tear-fluid biosensing
• Extended reality computing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Future hardware sales (smart contact lenses): Primary planned future revenue stream via direct sale of smart contact lenses integrating AR/XR display, biometric health monitoring, night vision, zoom, and wireless charging. B2B business customers targeted by 2028 and broad consumer launch planned for the early 2030s (originally ~2030, later refined to 2033–2035 per company statements). XPANCEO is currently pre-revenue.
2. Future intracorneal implant sales (with INTRA-KER): Future revenue opportunity from the XPANCEO/INTRA-KER intracorneal implant that projects images directly onto the retina for patients with corneal blindness. Estimated addressable market of $50–200 million annually, with planned clinical trials over the next two years.
3. Licensing / IP out-licensing (potential): Long-term revenue potential from licensing the company's patent portfolio (50+ patents applied, including WO2024102024A1 on wearable optical devices and quasi-2D gold conductors) and underlying 2D-material/nanophotonic IP to adjacent industries. Currently pre-commercial.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

XPANCEO develops an invisible, weightless smart contact lens platform that fuses five core enabling modules (on-eye microdisplay with proprietary optics, communication/companion module with custom high-efficiency antenna, solid-state microbattery with wireless recharging, electrochemical tear-fluid biosensing, and quasi-2D gold transparent flexible electronics) into a single AI-powered XR computing platform. On top of the platform, the company offers standalone smart contact lens applications for glaucoma management, medicine monitoring, AR vision in frontier environments, color correction, authentication, space operations, and passive eye-tracking, plus an intracorneal implant co-developed with INTRA-KER for corneal blindness patients.

Product overview

XPANCEO's offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture built around a single integrated smart contact lens — described as the ultimate invisible computing platform for the AI era — into which five core enabling technology modules are combined: the Microdisplay for Smart Contact Lenses (AR image projection), the Communication Module / Compact Companion (high-efficiency wireless data link and power management), the Microbattery (autonomous solid-state power with wireless recharging, co-developed with ITEN), the Health Monitoring Platform (electrochemical tear-fluid biosensing), and the Transparent Flexible Electronics (quasi-2D gold conductors). On top of this platform XPANCEO offers a portfolio of standalone, ready-to-deploy smart contact lens applications — the AI-powered Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Management, the Smart Contact Lens for Medicine Monitoring, the AR Vision Smart Contact Lens for Frontier Applications, the Smart Contact Lens for Color Correction, the Smart Contact Lens for Authentication, the Space-Ready Smart Contact Lens, and the Passive Eye-Tracking Smart Contact Lens — each addressing a specific high-value use case. The company has additionally co-developed an Intracorneal Implant with INTRA-KER for corneal-blindness patients, extending the same microdisplay and wireless protocols into a surgically implantable form factor. The integrated on-eye prototype combining display, power, connectivity, and sensing is scheduled for first public demonstration in early 2027, with business customers targeted by 2028 and consumer products projected for the early 2030s.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Contact Lens Platform (XPANCEO Invisible Computing Platform) Unifying platform that combines the microdisplay, communication module, microbattery, health monitoring platform, and transparent flexible electronics into a single smart contact lens designed as the invisible computing platform for the AI era, integrating AR vision, real-time biometrics, wireless power, and AI.
• Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Management AI-powered smart contact lens with an embedded intraocular pressure (IOP) optical-pattern sensor; users capture the pattern with a smartphone AI app to instantly assess eye pressure for continuous at-home glaucoma monitoring.
• Smart Contact Lens for Medicine Monitoring Smart contact lens that, after a full day of wear, is placed in a container using advanced spectroscopy with custom-developed gold nanoparticles to detect medication traces in tear fluid without an invasive blood test, supporting personalized dosing in cancer and thrombosis therapies.
• AR Vision Smart Contact Lens for Frontier Applications Smart contact lens with a holographic optical element paired with a helmet-mounted external image source, designed for space missions, aviation, and racing where face-worn devices are impractical; allows the eye to focus on the image without obstructing vision.
• Smart Contact Lens for Color Correction Smart contact lens enhanced with specially developed 2D-material-based nanoparticles that help people with color blindness distinguish RGB spectra by modifying the optical properties of incoming light.
• Smart Contact Lens for Authentication Demo smart contact lens supporting transaction authentication, retail and financial services verification, universal system access (vehicles, buildings, terminals), and credential verification for age & access validation, esports compliance, and critical ops clearance.
• Space-Ready Smart Contact Lens Smart contact lens incorporating a holographic display and biomedical sensors that integrate with a real space suit; the helmet-mounted image source powers the device and collects health metrics (intraocular pressure, glucose, vitamin levels, lactate) for astronauts operating in orbit, lunar, and deep-space missions.
• Passive Eye-Tracking Smart Contact Lens Smart contact lens using moiré-pattern optical gratings (2.5 × 2.5 mm encapsulated in biocompatible silicone elastomer) that achieve approximately 0.3-degree gaze-tracking precision when read by standard cameras in laptops, dashboards, mobile devices, and helmets, with no need for infrared illumination or embedded power.
• Intracorneal Implant (with INTRA-KER) Joint XPANCEO/INTRA-KER implant that restores vision in patients with damaged or opaque corneas by projecting images directly onto the retina; combines INTRA-KER's patented intracorneal housing with XPANCEO's microdisplay and micro-optical projection system (450×450 pixels in a 5.6mm package), with visual data transmitted wirelessly from external smart glasses.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability9 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ITEN (I-TEN S.A.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench solid-state energy storage company ITEN and XPANCEO co-developed a proof-of-concept integrating ITEN's solid-state ceramic microbattery into a smart contact lens, addressing the fundamental power bottleneck of ocular wearables. ITEN has been mass-producing first-generation solid-state ceramic microbatteries since May 2025 and is customizing a battery for XPANCEO's specifications. The partnership was announced jointly on April 29, 2026.
• INTRA-KERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian medtech startup INTRA-KER is co-developing with XPANCEO an intracorneal implant that bypasses the cornea and projects visual information directly onto the retina for patients with corneal blindness. Initial proof of concept combined a 450x450 pixel display with XPANCEO's micro-optical projection system in a 5.6mm package; testing was conducted with the Venice Eye Bank. XPANCEO plans to finalize a surgically implantable version for clinical trials over the next two years. INTRA-KER holds the patented intracorneal design IP.
• Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBRSC and XPANCEO are collaborating on a multi-stage testing program for the space-ready AR smart contact lens, including lab validation, ground simulations in low humidity / elevated oxygen / enclosed environments, parabolic flights for microgravity, biocompatibility and in-eye evaluations, and the potential for future in-orbit validation. The lens integrates with space suit systems to power the device, send visual data, and collect astronaut health metrics (IOP, glucose, vitamins, lactate).
• Middlesex University DubaiminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMiddlesex University Dubai (first overseas campus of Middlesex University London, in Dubai Knowledge Park) partnered with XPANCEO to host the open-lab event during GITEX Global 2025. Speakers from Middlesex University (Professor Fehmida Hussain, Dr. Engie Bashir) and from Cairns & Co Specialist Optometry Center (Zachary Cairns) joined XPANCEO scientists for a public lecture program bridging deep tech and academia.
• Dubai Chamber of Digital EconomycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is showcasing XPANCEO alongside Carbon2Capital, Cognition AI, Kerno, and Qashio via its 'Launchpad Dubai' platform at GITEX AI Europe 2026 in Berlin (June 30 – July 1, 2026). The initiative aims to strengthen Dubai's digital-ecosystem positioning and connect Dubai-based innovators with European technology companies, investors, and startups.
• University of ManchesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXPANCEO collaborates with the University of Manchester on material science and optics research, alongside Nobel laureate Konstantin Novoselov who maintains an affiliation there.
• National University of SingaporeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXPANCEO collaborates with the National University of Singapore on advanced materials and nanophotonics research. Nobel laureate Sir Konstantin Novoselov, who chairs XPANCEO's Scientific Advisory Board, is a Professor at NUS.
• Donostia International Physics CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXPANCEO collaborates with the Donostia International Physics Center on materials science and optics research. Scientific Advisory Board member Prof. Luis Martin-Moreno of the University of Zaragoza is also affiliated through this network.
• University of DubaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXPANCEO collaborates with the University of Dubai as part of its research network in material science and optics.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Magic Leap: Magic Leap develops AR headsets and spatial computing platforms targeting enterprise and eventually consumer use cases — overlapping with XPANCEO's broader AR/XR computing ambitions but in a head-mounted rather than contact-lens form factor.

Direct peers

• Innovega: Innovega develops iOptik smart contact lenses paired with smart glasses for AR/VR applications, overlapping directly with XPANCEO's AR vision and contact-lens form factor, though it relies on eyewear-coupled optics rather than a standalone lens.
• Mojo Vision: Mojo Vision is the most direct historical competitor in AR smart contact lenses; it built a micro-LED-enabled Mojo Lens with eye-tracking and has been pursuing similar consumer and medical use cases (vision augmentation, health monitoring), making it the closest analog despite its recent pivot toward micro-LED display technology.
• Sensimed (Triggerfish): Sensimed's Triggerfish is a CE-marked smart contact lens for continuous 24-hour intraocular pressure monitoring in glaucoma — the same glaucoma-self-monitoring use case that XPANCEO targets with its AI-powered IOP sensor and smartphone app.

Broad incumbents

• Verily (Alphabet): Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences) developed a glucose-sensing smart contact lens in partnership with Novartis/Alcon and continues to operate in digital health and ophthalmic technologies; as an Alphabet subsidiary it represents the deep-pocketed incumbent most capable of fast-following XPANCEO's medical smart-lens thesis.
• Meta (Reality Labs): Meta's Reality Labs is investing tens of billions into AR glasses (Orion) and VR/MR headsets aimed at replacing smartphones and PCs as the next computing platform — directly competing with XPANCEO's "invisible computing" thesis though in a glasses form factor.
• Samsung (MicroLED/Display): Samsung Display is a leading micro-LED and OLED microdisplay manufacturer and a key potential supplier/competitor for the microdisplay module that XPANCEO currently sources from JBD; it could either partner with or compete against XPANCEO in future consumer smart-lens displays.
• Apple (Vision Products): Apple's Vision Pro and long-rumored smart-glasses/AR lens programs place it as the dominant incumbent pursuing AR-as-next-computing-platform; XPANCEO's smart contact lens roadmap is a direct competitive response to Apple's eventual invisible-computing play.

Others

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions: Sony is a leading supplier of micro-OLED and micro-LED microdisplays for AR/VR headsets and smart glasses; relevant to XPANCEO as a current or future supplier of the on-eye microdisplay module that anchors its AR vision prototypes.
• JBD (Jade Bird Display): JBD is the Chinese MicroLED firm that is already an XPANCEO supplier/partner for microdisplay components; comparable as a key enabling-technology provider in the same smart-lens and AR optics supply chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/xpanceo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@xpanceo/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/XPANCEO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xpanceo
• Instagraminstagram.com/xpanceo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about XPANCEO