Orbis International

What Orbis International does

Orbis International is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in New York that focuses on preventing blindness and building sustainable eye-care capacity in low- and middle-income countries. Its core operational asset is the Flying Eye Hospital, the world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on an aircraft, which travels to partner countries to deliver hands-on surgical and clinical training in cataract, glaucoma, oculoplastics, medical retina, anesthesiology, nursing, and biomedical engineering. The organization complements the aircraft program with a network of permanent vision centers established in partnership with host-country ministries of health and local hospitals, and it has signed multi-year national partnerships — most notably a five-year agreement with Peru's Ministry of Health established in 2022 — to integrate eye health into broader public health systems.

Its product surface is expanding beyond traditional surgical training into AI-enabled screening. Since 2023, Orbis has operated the world's first AI-assisted retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening program, built on Siloam Vision's FDA breakthrough-designated iTelegen telemedicine platform, which analyzes retinal images captured via smartphone-attached cameras and returns results in seconds versus days. The program launched in Mongolia at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health in 2026 and is being expanded to Bangladesh. Orbis serves a mix of end beneficiaries (patients in underserved regions, reached free of charge) and institutional partners including ministries of health, public hospitals, and corporate and foundation funders.

The business model is that of a charitable nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise. Services to patients are provided at no cost, with funding drawn from individual donations, corporate sponsorships and in-kind contributions (FedEx, Alcon, OMEGA), foundation grants (Alcon Foundation), and government partnerships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is not applicable to end users. The go-to-market motion combines episodic, event-driven program delivery through the Flying Eye Hospital with a community-led model of long-duration national partnerships and vision-center buildouts, supported by partner-marketing channels and earned media around events such as World Sight Day.

Name

Orbis International

Website

https://orbis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Orbis International is a nonprofit that prevents blindness in low- and middle-income countries by delivering ophthalmic training and eye care through the Flying Eye Hospital, a global vision-center network, and AI-assisted retinopathy of prematurity screening for premature infants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Eye Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (621320), Offices of Optometrists (62132), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Educational Services (8200), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ophthalmology & Vision Telemedicine Platforms (HLALAGAL), Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN), Disaster Response & Search and Rescue (SAR) (BPADADAA)

Keywords

• Global eye care
• Ophthalmic training
• Vision centers
• Blindness prevention
• Flying eye hospital

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships: Orbis receives substantial support from corporate partners including Alcon, FedEx, and OMEGA. FedEx alone has contributed over $22 million including a recent $3.5 million pledge. Partnerships support Flying Eye Hospital operations, training programs, and equipment.
2. Foundation & Government Grants: Orbis receives support from foundations (Alcon Foundation) and government partnerships. The organization has established five-year national partnerships with ministries of health to strengthen eye health systems.
3. Donations & Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization, Orbis relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations to fund its global eye care programs and the Flying Eye Hospital operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Orbis International is a nonprofit organization that delivers ophthalmic training and eye care services globally through the Flying Eye Hospital—the world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on an aircraft. The organization supplements its direct surgical training programs with vision centers established in partnership with local health systems and AI-assisted retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening delivered via Siloam Vision's iTelegen telemedicine platform. Its core work combines mobile hands-on training missions, AI-enabled diagnostics, and multi-year national partnerships with ministries of health in low- and middle-income countries.

Product overview

Orbis International operates the Flying Eye Hospital—the world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on an aircraft—as its primary product for delivering eye care training and surgical services in underserved regions. The organization also offers AI-assisted retinopathy of prematurity screening services through integration with Siloam Vision's iTelegen telemedicine platform, enabling rapid automated detection using smartphone-attached retinal cameras. These offerings work together to address global blindness prevention through both direct surgical training and AI-enabled diagnostic capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flying Eye Hospital The world's only fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on an aircraft, providing hands-on surgical training and eye care services across cataract, glaucoma, oculoplastics, medical retina, anesthesiology, nursing, and biomedical engineering to eye care professionals in underserved regions.
• AI-Assisted ROP Screening Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 32,000 pre-term babies become permanently blind from ROP annually without intervention; AI screening enables detection within seconds vs days previously
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• AlconcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 June 2026Alcon supports Orbis's Flying Eye Hospital projects in Peru and other locations, providing resources and expertise for ophthalmic training programs focused on cataract, glaucoma, oculoplastics, medical retina, and related specialties.
• OMEGAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 June 2026OMEGA supports the Flying Eye Hospital project in Peru as part of Orbis's corporate partnership program to expand access to eye care across southern Peru.
• Siloam VisionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026Orbis and Siloam Vision achieved a world first by using AI to screen premature babies for retinopathy of prematurity using Siloam's FDA breakthrough-designated iTelegen telemedicine platform. The partnership enables results within seconds compared to days previously and is being expanded to Bangladesh.
• Alcon FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 October 2025Alcon Foundation supports the Flying Eye Hospital trip to Ghana, contributing to training local eye care teams in Accra and Kumasi to improve eye health services.
• Ministry of Health (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Partnership with Ghana's Ministry of Health for Flying Eye Hospital training program in Accra and Kumasi to improve eye health services and build capacity in Ghana's eye care system.
• FedExflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 October 2025FedEx has collaborated with Orbis for over 40 years to support the Flying Eye Hospital. FedEx has contributed over US$22 million including a recent US$3.5 million pledge. Support includes donations, logistical support, and volunteer pilots. FedEx is a key corporate partner enabling the Flying Eye Hospital operations.
• Ministry of Health (Peru)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Five-year national partnership established in 2022 with Peru's Ministry of Health to strengthen eye health systems, establish vision centers, and improve access to eye care across the country including rural and indigenous communities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): International development organization focused on disability inclusion including avoidable blindness prevention. Runs hospital-based and community eye health programs in low-income countries with comparable partnerships with ministries of health.
• Sightsavers: International non-profit focused on preventing avoidable blindness and promoting equality for people with disabilities. Operates eye care programs across 30+ low-and-middle-income countries with similar MoH partnership and training models, making it the closest organizational peer.
• Light for the World: Austria-based international NGO focused on eye health and disability inclusion, working with hospitals and local partners in low-income countries. Similar mix of direct service delivery and systems-strengthening approach.
• Helen Keller International: US-headquartered NGO combating preventable blindness and malnutrition globally through vitamin A distribution and eye health programs. Highly comparable nonprofit model, target geographies, and donor-driven revenue structure.
• The Fred Hollows Foundation: Australian-headquartered NGO working on ending avoidable blindness through local training, surgical services, and advocacy across more than 25 countries. Directly comparable mission, donor base, and capacity-building model to Orbis.
• Operation Eyesight Universal: Canada-based international development organization focused on eliminating avoidable blindness, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable hospital partnerships, vision center model, and capacity-building approach.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: Large international development organization operating health, education, and microfinance programs in multiple low-income countries. Comparable in scale, NGO structure, and MoH partnership approach but not eye-care focused.
• Partners In Health: Larger global health NGO providing comprehensive healthcare in low-resource settings across multiple countries. Comparable non-profit funding model and MoH partnership structure, though broader in scope beyond ophthalmology.
• Doctors Without Borders (MSF): Major medical humanitarian organization with global footprint providing emergency and surgical care in low-resource settings. Comparable international non-profit structure and program delivery model, but focused on crisis response rather than capacity building.

Emerging players

• Aravind Eye Care System: India-based network of eye hospitals providing high-volume, low-cost cataract and ophthalmic care with a training and capacity-building mission. Comparable ophthalmic training ethos and scale ambitions, but operates primarily as a direct provider rather than nonprofit partnership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/orbisintl
• Facebookfacebook.com/orbisinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Orbis International