AST Products
AST Products, Inc., founded in 1989 and based in Billerica, Massachusetts, develops and manufactures ophthalmic surgical products—including Asqelio intraocular lenses and LubriMATRIX-treated IOL delivery systems—along with patented medical coatings, contact angle analyzers, and plasma reactors for medical device manufacturers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersBillerica, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AST Products does
AST Products, Inc. is a privately held medical device and surface-technology company headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, founded in 1989. The company operates from a 23,000 square foot ISO 13485:2016-registered facility equipped with Class 10,000 and 100,000 cleanrooms, employing 11–50 staff across three integrated product franchises: ophthalmic surgical devices (Asqelio hydrophobic intraocular lenses in monofocal, toric, EDOF, multifocal, and trifocal variants plus pioli, bioli, and lioli IOL delivery systems featuring proprietary LubriMATRIX surface treatment); patented medical coatings (LubriMATRIX, LubriLAST, HydroLAST, pHreeCOAT, RepelaCOAT) sold directly and applied through contract services for neurovascular, cardiovascular, urological, and ophthalmic device manufacturers; and analytical and plasma processing equipment (VCA Optima and VCA 3000s contact angle systems, plus PJ, Mini PJ, and PS350 plasma reactors) used by laboratories and manufacturers for surface analysis and treatment.
The company monetizes through four distinct revenue streams: direct B2B hardware sales of IOLs and delivery systems to hospitals, surgical centers, and ophthalmic surgeons; contract coating and technology-transfer services priced case-by-case with multi-year engagement cycles; and equipment sales of plasma reactors and contact angle instruments for laboratory and production use. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with heavy conference presence at ASCRS, ESCRS, AAO, APACRS, EFCLIN, GSLS, the American Coatings Show, and the BioInterface Workshop, supplemented by technical content, product datasheets, and demonstration videos.
AST Products has secured FDA 510(k) clearances for the lioli (2015), pioli, and bioli IOL delivery systems, EU CE-marking for the Asqelio premium IOL family and Asqelio Preloaded Delivery System, and a portfolio of granted and patent-pending proprietary coating technologies. The company has no parent organization, no disclosed institutional investors, and operates as an independent Massachusetts corporation led by President Carl Cummings, VP of R&D Dr. William Lee (2020 ACS Heroes of Chemistry recipient), and VP of Business Development Matt Connolly.
AST Products firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AST Products
- Legal name
- AST Products, Inc.
- Website
- https://astp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AST Products, Inc., founded in 1989 and based in Billerica, Massachusetts, develops and manufactures ophthalmic surgical products—including Asqelio intraocular lenses and LubriMATRIX-treated IOL delivery systems—along with patented medical coatings, contact angle analyzers, and plasma reactors for medical device manufacturers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AST Products industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ophthalmic Surgical Devices and Medical Surface Coatings
- NAICS
- Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cataract Surgery Systems & IOLs (Phaco Systems, IOLs, Intraoperative Aberrometry, Viscoelastics) (HLAHAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions) (HLAHAJAE)
Keywords
Where AST Products is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Billerica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AST Products business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ophthalmic Medical Devices: Sale of Asqelio™ intraocular lenses, Asqelio™ Preloaded IOL Delivery Systems, and IOL delivery devices (pioli™, bioli™, lioli™). These are single-use sterile medical devices for cataract surgery. Revenue is generated from product sales to hospitals, surgical centers, and ophthalmic surgeons.
- Medical Coatings and Contract Services: Contract coating services using proprietary technologies (LubriMATRIX™, LubriLAST™, HydroLAST™, RepelaCOAT™, pHreeCOAT™). Also provides technology transfers to customers. Coating processes performed at Class 10,000 or Class 100,000 cleanrooms. ISO 13485:2016 compliant.
- Plasma Equipment: Sale of specially engineered plasma reactors (PJ, Mini PJ, PS350) that facilitate the application of advanced surface treatment technologies. Equipment sold for laboratory and production use in medical device manufacturing.
- Contact Angle Analysis Equipment: Sale of VCA contact angle analysis equipment (VCA Optima, VCA 3000s) for evaluating surface cleanliness, adhesion, wetting behavior, and coating quality in R&D and quality control applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Contract coating and surface treatment services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
AST Products product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AST Products develops and manufactures ophthalmic surgical products including the Asqelio line of soft hydrophobic intraocular lenses and preloaded IOL delivery systems, the pioli/bioli/lioli single-use IOL delivery devices featuring LubriMATRIX surface treatment, and provides proprietary medical coatings (LubriMATRIX, LubriLAST, HydroLAST, pHreeCOAT, RepelaCOAT) as licensed technologies and contract coating services to medical device manufacturers. The company also designs and sells plasma reactors (PJ, Mini PJ, PS350) and VCA contact angle measurement instruments used to apply and verify its surface treatments.
Product overview
AST Products operates as a medical device manufacturer with three interconnected product lines: (1) Ophthalmic Surgical Products including the Asqelio series of soft hydrophobic intraocular lenses (monofocal, toric, EDOF, multifocal, trifocal) and Asqelio Preloaded IOL Delivery Systems, along with pioli, bioli, and lioli IOL Delivery Systems all featuring LubriMATRIX surface treatment technology; (2) Medical Coatings including LubriMATRIX, LubriLAST, HydroLAST, pHreeCOAT, and RepelaCOAT for surface modification of medical devices; and (3) Analysis Equipment and Plasma Systems including VCA Optima contact angle instruments and PJ/Mini PJ/PS350 plasma reactors for surface treatment and cleaning. The company provides contract coating services utilizing its proprietary coating technologies in ISO 13485:2016 certified facilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LubriMATRIX: Surface treatment technology for intraocular lens (IOL) injectors that enables safer, simpler and more effective IOL delivery. Protects IOL from damage during cataract surgery.
- lioli
- pioli
- bioli
- Asqelio
- VCA Contact Angle
Products and services
- Asqelio Premium IOLs Soft hydrophobic intraocular lenses available in EDOF, Multifocal, and Trifocal variants for cataract surgery, providing extended depth of focus and presbyopia correction. For ophthalmic surgeons and surgical centers performing cataract surgery.
- Asqelio Premium Toric IOLs Toric versions of EDOF and Multifocal intraocular lenses designed to correct astigmatism during cataract surgery. For ophthalmic surgeons treating cataract patients with astigmatism.
- Asqelio Monofocal IOLs Soft hydrophobic monofocal intraocular lenses for standard cataract surgery correction, available in clear or yellow formats. For ophthalmic surgeons performing routine cataract surgery.
- Asqelio Monofocal Toric IOLs Monofocal toric intraocular lenses designed for correction of both cataracts and astigmatism. For ophthalmic surgeons treating cataract patients with astigmatism.
- Asqelio Preloaded IOL Delivery System Preloaded intraocular lens injector system with Asqelio hydrophobic IOL, featuring ergonomic design with 2.2mm-2.4mm incision size and error-free IOL-loading. For ophthalmic surgeons.
- pioli IOL Delivery System Single-use sterile IOL delivery system with patent-pending lateral lens folding mechanism and LubriMATRIX-treated tip, compatible with hydrophilic and hydrophobic IOLs, enabling 2.2mm incision. For ophthalmic surgeons.
- bioli IOL Delivery System Single-use sterile IOL delivery system with LubriMATRIX-treated cartridge, silicone-tipped plunger with cushion, and three cartridge types (BIOLI-C, BIOLI-rC, BIOLI-D). For ophthalmic surgeons.
- lioli IOL Delivery System Single-use sterile IOL delivery system with LubriMATRIX treatment technology, available in three incision sizes (1.67mm, 2.00mm, 2.25mm) for single-piece hydrophilic and hydrophobic IOLs. For ophthalmic surgeons.
- LubriMATRIX Lubricious hydrophilic surface treatment for IOL injectors providing sub-micron thickness, autoclavable sterilization, and wet/dry storage compatibility. Patent pending technology. For medical device manufacturers and ophthalmic surgical OEMs.
- LubriLAST Water-based lubricious hydrophilic coating for medical devices that virtually eliminates coefficient of friction, passes biocompatibility tests, and maintains integrity through hundreds of cycles. For medical device manufacturers.
- HydroLAST Hydrophilic surface treatment that permanently grafts hydrophilic polymers to hydrophobic substrates, reducing water contact angle to zero with pH stability from 2 to 13. For medical device manufacturers.
- pHreeCOAT Patent-pending anti-encrustation coating that modulates surface pH to prevent mineral deposition on indwelling medical devices, with demonstrated resistance after four weeks in urine. For medical device manufacturers of urological and other indwelling devices.
- RepelaCOAT Anti-microbial coating with ion-exchange silver salt or antibiotic release mechanism that prevents bacterial growth (E. Coli, staph, candida) with slow release profile and up to 30-day effectiveness. For medical device manufacturers.
- VCA Optima Video contact angle system for measuring surface energy, wettability, and adhesion on substrates using sessile drop method with 0-180 degree range and Windows-based software. For R&D and quality control laboratories.
- VCA 3000s Wafer surface analysis system for semiconductor quality control with 12-inch rotating stage, designed for HMDS process assessment and surface contamination detection. For semiconductor QA and R&D laboratories.
- PJ Plasma System Bench top plasma surface treatment system with 300W 13.56 MHz RF power, PC-controlled operation, and 8-inch diameter Pyrex chamber for cleaning and surface modification. For laboratory and production use in medical device manufacturing.
- Mini PJ Plasma System Compact bench top plasma system with factory-set operation, internal pump, and small footprint (L20 x W10.5 x H20 inches) for labs with limited space. For laboratory use in medical device and materials research.
- PS350 Plasma System Production-scale plasma treatment system with 0-600W RF power, 13-inch work chamber, and automated process control for high-volume manufacturing cleaning and surface treatment. For production-scale medical device manufacturing.
- Contract Coating Services Full-service contract surface treatment including feasibility studies, development, validation, and manufacturing in ISO 13485:2016 compliant Class 10,000 and 100,000 cleanrooms. For medical device manufacturers requiring specialized surface treatments.
Quantifiable outcome
- LubriLAST reduces coefficient of friction by up to 96% compared to uncoated surfaces
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use AST Products
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
AST Products technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
AST Products partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AST Products competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Biocoat: Develops and applies hydrophilic coatings for medical devices including catheters and guidewires. Overlaps directly with AST's LubriLAST and contract coating services in the catheter and guidewire segment.
- Surmodics: Provides proprietary surface coating technologies and contract coating services for medical devices, including hydrophilic, lubricious, and drug-delivery coatings. Directly comparable to AST's LubriLAST and contract coating business for catheter and device customers.
- BVI Medical: Ophthalmic surgical device company offering IOLs and delivery systems. Comparable to AST in the IOL injector space, particularly for single-use sterile delivery devices like pioli and bioli.
- HOYA Surgical Optics: Focused IOL manufacturer (Vivinex, iSert preloaded injectors) with a similar premium-hydrophobic positioning to AST's Asqelio line. Closely comparable on product scope, though at much larger scale.
- KRÜSS: Manufactures contact angle and surface tension measurement instruments. Directly comparable to AST's VCA Optima and VCA 3000s product lines for R&D and quality control surface analysis.
- Harland Medical Systems: Specialty medical device coating company offering hydrophilic, antimicrobial, and drug-eluting coatings plus contract coating services. Comparable to AST's coating portfolio and contract services motion.
Broad incumbents
- Alcon: Global leader in cataract surgery devices including IOLs (PanOptix, Vivity) and delivery systems. Directly competes with AST in the same surgeon accounts with vastly larger commercial reach, but at a much broader portfolio scale.
- Carl Zeiss Meditec: Sells premium IOLs (CT LUCIA, AT ELANA) and cataract workflow equipment. Competes with AST in the same surgical channel and benefits from a bundled equipment-plus-IOL selling motion.
- Bausch + Lomb: Major ophthalmic surgical franchise including enVista and other IOLs and injectors. Competes head-to-head with AST's Asqelio and pioli/bioli/lioli lines, particularly in EU cataract surgery accounts.
- Johnson & Johnson Vision: Markets the Tecnis IOL family and related delivery systems used in cataract surgery. Overlaps with AST on premium IOLs and preloaded injectors, with much larger clinical and commercial infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AST Products social profiles
Digital presenceAST Products compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
AST Products financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AST Products leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
AST Products funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AST Products 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 AST Products
What does AST Products do?
AST Products develops and manufactures ophthalmic surgical products including the Asqelio line of soft hydrophobic intraocular lenses and preloaded IOL delivery systems, the pioli/bioli/lioli single-use IOL delivery devices featuring LubriMATRIX surface treatment, and provides proprietary medical coatings (LubriMATRIX, LubriLAST, HydroLAST, pHreeCOAT, RepelaCOAT) as licensed technologies and contract coating services to medical device manufacturers. The company also designs and sells plasma reactors (PJ, Mini PJ, PS350) and VCA contact angle measurement instruments used to apply and verify its surface treatments.
Is AST Products a public or private company?
AST Products is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AST Products founded?
AST Products was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AST Products based?
AST Products is headquartered in Billerica, United States, in the North America region.
How does AST Products make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ophthalmic Medical Devices are the primary driver. The others are medical Coatings and Contract Services, plasma Equipment and contact Angle Analysis Equipment.
Who are AST Products's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Biocoat, Surmodics, BVI Medical, HOYA Surgical Optics, KRÜSS and Harland Medical Systems. Broad incumbents are Alcon, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Bausch + Lomb and Johnson & Johnson Vision.
Does AST Products have an API?
No public API is recorded for AST Products.
What industry is AST Products in?
AST Products's product category is Ophthalmic Surgical Devices and Medical Surface Coatings. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAJAH, Cataract Surgery Systems & IOLs (Phaco Systems, IOLs, Intraoperative Aberrometry, Viscoelastics), with a secondary code of HLAHAJAE, Contact Lenses & Care Systems (Soft/RGP/Scleral Lenses; Cleaning/Disinfection Solutions). Its NAICS code is 339115 and its SIC code is 3851.