Vision Research Foundation

What Vision Research Foundation does

Vision Research Foundation (VRF) is a New Zealand registered charitable trust (CC59798), founded in 2020 by Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer and headquartered in Auckland, that funds and supports vision science research across four program pillars: glaucoma, neurological disease, oculomics, and community engagement. The foundation's research portfolio includes the SightScore™ polygenic risk score for glaucoma, AI/ML-based glaucoma prediction models trained on UK Biobank data (approximately 500,000 participants), amplified MRI (aMRI) imaging of the optic nerve through its partnership with Mätai Medical Research Institute, telomere research into age-related eye diseases, and high-resolution eye tracking for neuromuscular disease detection. VRF operates a structured scholarship ecosystem comprising Senior Research Fellowships, Masters/PhD scholarships, Māori and Pacific scholarships, Summer Studentships ($7,000 stipend), Secondary School scholarships ($5,000), Project Grants (up to $20,000-$60,000), and Travel Scholarships, working primarily through University of Auckland and Eye Institute clinical settings.

VRF is a non-commercial entity with no product sales; its revenue model is entirely philanthropic, drawing on individual donations (one-time, weekly, monthly, annual, bequests, in-memory), grants from charitable foundations such as The Trusts Community Foundation (TTCF) and The Gattung Foundation, and government/innovation grants including a $31,840 Callaghan Innovation grant in March 2024. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: VRF raises awareness through TVNZ's Seven Sharp appearances, international ophthalmologist presentations, sponsorship of the Women in Vision Aotearoa conference, and partnerships with Rotary RYLA, Pūhoro STEMM Academy, Glaucoma New Zealand, and Te Whenua Law and Consulting. The organization is led by Dame Helen Danesh-Meyer (Board Chair and Scientific Director, also Sir William and Lady Stevenson Professor of Ophthalmology at University of Auckland), with Dr. Hannah Kersten as Trustee/Treasurer and Clare Leonard as Trustee/Trust Administrator, supported by a small team of 1-10 staff plus a wider network of PhD scholars, summer students, and grant recipients.

Name

Vision Research Foundation

Legal name

Vision Research Foundation

Website

https://visionresearchfoundation.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vision Research Foundation is a New Zealand charitable trust that funds and supports vision science research across glaucoma, neurological disease, oculomics, and community engagement, delivering a structured scholarship ecosystem and operating entirely on donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vision Research

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAL

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Vision science research
• Eye disease research
• Glaucoma research
• Medical research funding
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: VRF receives donations from individuals, philanthropists, and the general public. Donations can be made as one-time, weekly, monthly, or annual contributions. Donors can also contribute in memory of someone or as celebration of an event. Bequests through wills are also accepted.
2. Grants from Charitable Foundations: VRF receives grants from charitable organizations including The Trusts Community Foundation (TTCF) for operating costs and summer studentships, and other community foundations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vision Research Foundation is a New Zealand charitable trust (CC59798) that funds and supports vision science research through four core programs (Glaucoma, Neurological Disease, Oculomics, and Community Engagement) and a portfolio of scholarships, fellowships, and grants. The foundation channels donations and grants into research projects, postdoctoral fellowships, PhD/Masters scholarships, summer studentships, project grants, and travel scholarships to retain top vision researchers in New Zealand and translate discoveries from bench to bedside.

Product overview

Vision Research Foundation (VRF) is a New Zealand charitable trust that operates as a collaborative, multi-disciplinary vision research funding and support organization. Rather than a unified commercial product, VRF's offering portfolio consists of four core research programs — Glaucoma Research, Neurological Disease Research, Oculomics Research, and Community Engagement — supported by a structured scholarship ecosystem offering Senior Research Fellow positions, Māori and Pacific Scholarships, Masters and PhD Scholarships, Summer Studentships ($7,000), Project Grants (up to $20,000–$60,000), Secondary School Scholarships ($5,000), and Travel Scholarships. The research programs encompass sub-projects including the SightScore™ glaucoma polygenic risk score, artificial intelligence-driven glaucoma prediction models, amplified MRI optic nerve studies, deep learning for Multiple Sclerosis detection, and neuromuscular disease eye-movement diagnostics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Glaucoma Research Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Glaucoma can be prevented from causing blindness in vast majority of patients when treated at early stage
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered important, minor and core.

• Te Whenua Law and ConsultingimportantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2023VRF partnered with Tania Te Whenua to scope support available to wāhine Māori medical students and practitioners seeking to advance to surgical careers.
• Rotary RYLAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2022Partnership to nurture leadership potential of young individuals through the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program. VRF donated to support Jodeci-Maki Ropati Aviu's participation.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVRF works with University of Auckland for research activities, with Dame Helen Danesh-Meyer serving as Sir William and Lady Stevenson Professor of Ophthalmology at the university. The university hosts VRF scholars and research projects.
• Eye InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEye Institute is a key partner providing clinical settings for research and collaboration with VRF researchers. Dr Hannah Kersten serves as Research Manager at Eye Institute.
• Mātai Medical Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for MRI-based research including amplified MRI technology for optic nerve imaging. Located in Gisborne, Mātai provides world-class MRI facilities for VRF research projects on glaucoma and neurological conditions.
• Glaucoma New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Dame Helen Danesh-Meyer 20 years ago, Glaucoma New Zealand has 15,000 members. VRF partners with Glaucoma NZ for patient advocacy and awareness campaigns, including glaucoma awareness on Seven Sharp.
• Pūhoro STEMM AcademyimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support Māori students in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Mātauranga) fields, including the inaugural summer studentship for Makayla Kahi.
• Women in Vision AotearoaimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerVRF sponsors the annual Women in Vision Aotearoa conference and funds travel scholarships for 18 scholars to attend.
• Neuromuscular Research New ZealandimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research to decode neuromuscular diseases through eye movement analysis.
• Muscular Dystrophy New ZealandimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in neuromuscular disease research collaboration with VRF.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cure Kids: NZ's largest child-health research charitable funder. Closely comparable as a New Zealand charitable trust funding health research with a strong donor-community model, though focused on child health rather than vision specifically.
• BrightFocus Foundation: US nonprofit that funds research into glaucoma, macular degeneration, and Alzheimer's disease. Directly comparable given the overlap with VRF's glaucoma and neurological disease research portfolio, and similar grantmaking and donor-supported model.
• Foundation Fighting Blindness: Major US nonprofit funding vision-loss research. Comparable grantmaking model focused on eye diseases, with an established track record of funding research that translates to clinical impact, similar to VRF's translational research emphasis.
• Neurological Foundation of New Zealand: NZ-based charitable trust funding neurological research and supporting people with neurological conditions. Closest domestic peer in structure and grantmaking model, with overlapping mission on neurological disease research relevant to VRF's second research arm.
• Research to Prevent Blindness: US nonprofit that provides grants for vision research, with a particular focus on supporting early-career investigators. Comparable in mission to retain and develop vision researchers — directly mirroring VRF's stated goal of retaining 'bright minds in New Zealand.'
• Glaucoma Research Foundation: US-based nonprofit dedicated to funding glaucoma research and education. Directly comparable as a single-disease vision research grantmaking foundation with a similar mission to VRF's glaucoma arm, though at much larger scale.
• The Fred Hollows Foundation: Australia/NZ-based nonprofit focused on eye health, founded by the late Prof. Fred Hollows. Highly comparable given shared Australasian footprint, similar mission around preventable blindness, and overlapping community engagement models.

Broad incumbents

• National Eye Institute (NEI): US federal government institute within NIH that funds and conducts vision research. Functions as a much larger incumbent in the same vision research funding space, though as a governmental body rather than a charitable trust.
• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists: Professional college overseeing ophthalmology training and standards in Australia and NZ. Comparable as a regional institution that has recognized VRF's founder (College Medal recipient) and operates in the same ophthalmology ecosystem, though with a professional rather than research-funding remit.

Regional players

• Lions Eye Institute: Australian not-for-profit medical research institute specializing in ophthalmology research. Comparable in mission and ophthalmic research focus, operating in the same Australasian region though based in Western Australia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vision Research Foundation