iSTAR Medical
iSTAR Medical is a Belgian medtech company that develops and sells MINIject®, a proprietary STAR® silicone MIGS implant for the minimally invasive surgical treatment of open-angle glaucoma, distributed directly to hospitals and eye surgery centers across the EU, UK, Switzerland, and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBel, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What iSTAR Medical does
iSTAR Medical is a Belgian medtech company founded in 2010 that develops minimally invasive ophthalmic implants for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. Its sole commercial product, MINIject®, is a MIGS (minimally invasive glaucoma surgery) device manufactured from the company's proprietary STAR® material — a medical-grade silicone composed of a multi-channel network of hollow spheres designed to be soft, flexible, and to encourage bio-integration with surrounding tissue. MINIject® is positioned as the only commercially available MIGS implant that enhances natural flow in the supraciliary space, and clinical data (including 5-year sustained efficacy from the STAR-GLOBAL trial) supports its use for controlling intraocular pressure and preventing glaucoma-related vision loss.
The company makes money through direct hardware sales of MINIject® to hospitals and eye surgery centers in approved markets. Commercial sales are currently authorized in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Australia, with an FDA-approved clinical trial (STAR-V) underway in the United States as the pathway to US market entry. Distribution is executed via a direct enterprise sales model with small, specialized field teams — the company has 11-50 employees — and awareness is built primarily through medical congresses, peer-reviewed publications, and direct engagement with ophthalmic surgeons rather than broad consumer marketing.
iSTAR Medical has raised approximately $60.9M across four disclosed funding rounds (most recently a ~$44M Series C in September 2019) from a syndicate of European life-sciences investors including Gimv, LSP BioVentures, BNP Paribas Private Equity, Earlybird Venture Capital, Capricorn Partners, SFPI-FPIM, and S.R.I.W. The company is targeting the MIGS segment, which is the fastest-growing glaucoma treatment category at a 24% annual growth rate, against a global patient population of over 100 million people with glaucoma. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company remains privately held with no parent organization or public listing identified.
iSTAR Medical firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iSTAR Medical
- Legal name
- iSTAR Medical
- Website
- https://istarmed.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- iSTAR Medical is a Belgian medtech company that develops and sells MINIject®, a proprietary STAR® silicone MIGS implant for the minimally invasive surgical treatment of open-angle glaucoma, distributed directly to hospitals and eye surgery centers across the EU, UK, Switzerland, and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iSTAR Medical industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ophthalmic Medical Devices (Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery)
- NAICS
- Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)
- SIC
- Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Glaucoma Diagnostics & Surgical Devices (Tonometry, Gonioscopy, MIGS, Drainage Implants, Laser Trabeculoplasty) (HLAHAJAI)
Keywords
Where iSTAR Medical is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bel
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
iSTAR Medical business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- MINIject® MIGS Device Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of MINIject® implants to hospitals and eye surgery centers across approved markets (EU, UK, Switzerland, Australia). This is a medical device sales model with direct commercial distribution to healthcare providers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
iSTAR Medical product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iSTAR Medical designs, manufactures, and commercializes MINIject®, a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) implant made from its proprietary STAR® silicone material, intended for patients with open-angle glaucoma to control intraocular pressure (IOP). The device is currently the only commercially available MIGS implant that enhances natural flow in the supraciliary space, sold through direct channels to hospitals and eye surgery centers across the EU, UK, Switzerland, and Australia.
Product overview
iSTAR Medical is a medtech company with a single focused product offering — the MINIject® MIGS device. MINIject® is made from the company's proprietary STAR® material, a medical-grade silicone composed of a multi-channel network of hollow spheres that is soft, flexible, and encourages bio-integration. The product is designed for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery and is the only commercially available MIGS implant targeting the supraciliary space. The portfolio consists solely of this one core device, with supporting clinical programs (STAR-GLOBAL trial, STAR-V FDA trial) to expand indications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MINIject®: A novel MIGS (minimally invasive glaucoma surgery) device for patients with open-angle glaucoma, made of STAR® material. Currently the only commercially available MIGS implant that enhances natural flow in the supraciliary space.
- STAR®
Products and services
- MINIject® A novel minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) implant for patients with open-angle glaucoma, made from proprietary STAR® medical-grade silicone. It is the only commercially available MIGS implant that enhances natural flow in the supraciliary space, delivering sustained control of intraocular pressure (IOP). It is sold directly to hospitals and eye surgery centers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Significant sustained 5-year efficacy demonstrated in STAR-GLOBAL trial
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use iSTAR Medical
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
iSTAR Medical technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
iSTAR Medical partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
iSTAR Medical competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Topcon Corporation: Topcon is a Japanese ophthalmic device company with surgical and diagnostic product lines reaching glaucoma specialists globally; it represents a comparable broad incumbent in the ophthalmic surgical device market where iSTAR competes.
- Alcon: Alcon is the largest dedicated ophthalmic medical device company globally and acquired Ivantis (Hydrus Microstent), making it a direct MIGS competitor and a likely strategic acquirer of iSTAR Medical given portfolio gap in supraciliary space.
- Bausch + Lomb: Bausch + Lomb is a major global ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical business that competes in glaucoma surgery instrumentation and is a plausible strategic acquirer with capacity to commercialize a supraciliary MIGS device at scale.
- Santen Pharmaceutical: Santen is a Japan-headquartered global ophthalmology specialist with a broad portfolio of glaucoma pharmaceuticals and devices, making it both a potential strategic partner/acquirer for iSTAR and a benchmark for geographic expansion of an MIGS franchise.
- Carl Zeiss Meditec: Carl Zeiss Meditec is a leading ophthalmic diagnostic and surgical device manufacturer with glaucoma-relevant surgical equipment lines, representing a broad incumbent competitor and potential strategic acquirer in the MIGS category.
Emerging players
- BVI Medical: BVI Medical is a privately held ophthalmic surgical device company building a portfolio in cataract and glaucoma surgery, making it a comparable emerging/scaling medtech peer and a possible strategic counter-bidder for iSTAR Medical.
- NovaBay Pharmaceuticals: NovaBay is a small ophthalmology-focused company commercializing eye care products through specialty channels; while not a direct MIGS device competitor, it is a useful emerging-player benchmark for commercial-stage ophthalmic medtechs of similar size.
- New World Medical: New World Medical develops and markets ophthalmic surgical devices including the Kahook Dual Blade for MIGS goniotomy, positioning it as a direct but smaller competitor in the same surgical-channel MIGS category as MINIject®.
Direct peers
- Glaukos Corporation: Glaukos is the pioneer and market leader in MIGS with the iStent family of trabecular micro-bypass stents for open-angle glaucoma — the most direct competitive benchmark for iSTAR Medical in product, indication, and target surgeon.
- Sight Sciences: Sight Sciences markets the OMNI surgical system, a MIGS/viscodilation device targeting IOP reduction in glaucoma — a direct procedural competitor to MINIject® with overlapping surgeon call points and similar commercial-stage profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
iSTAR Medical social profiles
Digital presenceiSTAR Medical compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
iSTAR Medical financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iSTAR Medical leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
iSTAR Medical funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iSTAR Medical M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iSTAR Medical
What does iSTAR Medical do?
iSTAR Medical designs, manufactures, and commercializes MINIject®, a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) implant made from its proprietary STAR® silicone material, intended for patients with open-angle glaucoma to control intraocular pressure (IOP). The device is currently the only commercially available MIGS implant that enhances natural flow in the supraciliary space, sold through direct channels to hospitals and eye surgery centers across the EU, UK, Switzerland, and Australia.
Is iSTAR Medical a public or private company?
iSTAR Medical is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was iSTAR Medical founded?
iSTAR Medical was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is iSTAR Medical based?
iSTAR Medical is headquartered in Bel, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does iSTAR Medical make money?
One revenue line is on record: MINIject® MIGS Device Sales.
Who are iSTAR Medical's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Topcon Corporation, Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, Santen Pharmaceutical and Carl Zeiss Meditec. Emerging players are BVI Medical, NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and New World Medical. Direct peers are Glaukos Corporation and Sight Sciences.
Does iSTAR Medical have an API?
No public API is recorded for iSTAR Medical.
What industry is iSTAR Medical in?
iSTAR Medical's product category is Ophthalmic Medical Devices (Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAJAI, Glaucoma Diagnostics & Surgical Devices (Tonometry, Gonioscopy, MIGS, Drainage Implants, Laser Trabeculoplasty). Its NAICS code is 339112 and its SIC code is 3841.