Santinelli International

What Santinelli International does

Santinelli International is a US-based manufacturer of lens finishing equipment for the optical industry, founded in 1973 by Joseph Santinelli and currently led by his son Gerard Santinelli as President and CEO. After nearly 50 years of independent operation, the company relocated to Jacksonville, Florida and is now a division of Advancing Eyecare, a diversified ophthalmic conglomerate that also includes Marco Lombart, Eyefficient, Enhanced Medical Services, Veatch Ophthalmic Instruments, INNOVA Medical, S4Optik, and Birmingham Optical. The company employs 51-100 people and operates as the originator of 3D tracing technology in the optical equipment industry.

Santinelli designs and manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of lens edgers, blockers, tracers, and robotic systems for two end markets: Eye Care Practitioners (optometrists and opticians seeking in-office finishing capability) and wholesale optical laboratories requiring high-volume automated production. The product range spans 13 retail lens edging systems (ME-1500, LEXCE, LEXCE Trend 8, LE-800, plus certified pre-owned units), industrial equipment including the SE-9090 Supra series and AES-2200 dual-arm robotic system (rated at 1,600 jobs per 14-hour cycle), blockers (ICE-1, ICE-1500, Ce 9), tracers with patented 3D technology (XtremeD LT-1200, LT-980), and supporting software including iRx Server/Satellite remote tracing and Click Mode for Chemistrie sunlens production. Proprietary technical features include 32,000-reference-point 3D tracing at 99.9% accuracy, first-to-market step-beveling for high-wrap frames, variable fulcrum stylus design reducing stylus pressure by 50%, and QR-code EMR integration. The ME-1200 predecessor received the SILMO d'Or Award in 2011.

Revenue is generated through direct hardware sales, equipment leasing, software licensing, recurring service contracts (Hybrid Protection Plans with annual 56-point inspection), and an e-commerce supplies business through SiosOptical.com. Go-to-market is primarily direct consultative field sales with on-site demonstrations, installation, and training, complemented by inside sales, an e-commerce channel, and presence at approximately 30 trade shows annually including International Vision Expo East and West, where Santinelli is a founding exhibitor. Geographic scope is US-only with no disclosed international expansion. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with Section 179 tax benefits marketed for cash/financed purchases. The company holds no venture or private equity backing per the source material and is family-controlled.

Name

Santinelli International

Legal name

Santinelli International

Website

https://santinelli.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Santinelli International is a US manufacturer of lens finishing equipment, including edgers, blockers, tracers, and robotic systems, serving Eye Care Practitioners and wholesale optical laboratories. Founded in 1973 and now a division of Advancing Eyecare, it originated 3D tracing technology in the optical industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmic Lens Finishing Equipment

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD)

Keywords

• Optical lens edgers
• Lens finishing equipment
• Ophthalmic lab equipment
• Lens blocking systems
• Optical frame tracers

Headquarters

HQ city

Hauppauge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lens Finishing Equipment Sales: Sale of lens edgers, blockers, tracers, and industrial edging systems. Equipment ranges from retail tabletop edgers to high-volume robotic industrial systems.
2. Service and Support: Technical support, field service, repair center, and maintenance programs including Hybrid Protection Plans with preventative maintenance services.
3. Software Licenses: Click Mode software for Chemistrie sunlens production and iRx Server/Satellite remote tracing software.
4. Optical Supplies and Accessories: High-quality optical tools, lab supplies, frame parts, and consumables sold through SiosOptical.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Santinelli International designs, manufactures, and services lens finishing equipment for the optical industry, including retail and industrial lens edgers, robotic edging systems, precision blockers, 3D frame tracers, and supporting software. The company also distributes optical supplies, tools, accessories, and certified pre-owned equipment through its SiosOptical.com online store, and offers extended Hybrid Protection Plans with preventative maintenance.

Product overview

Santinelli International offers a comprehensive portfolio of lens finishing equipment and services for the optical industry. The core product lines include: (1) Retail Lens Edger Systems - 13 models including ME-1500, LEXCE, LEXCE Trend 8, and LE-800 for in-office finishing (IOF) by eye care practitioners; (2) Industrial Edging Equipment - SE-9090 Supra series and robotic systems (AES-1000, AES-2200) for high-volume wholesale labs; (3) Blockers - ICE-1 Intelligent Blocker, ICE-1500 Blocker, and Ce 9 Manual Blocker for lens blocking; (4) Tracers - XtremeD LT-1200 and LT-980 with 3D tracing technology; (5) Software - iRx Server & Satellite for remote tracing and Click Mode Software for Chemistrie sunlenses; (6) Ancillary equipment including drills, filtration units, frame warmers, and deodorizers. The company also provides client services including technical support, field service, online support portal (AdvantEdge), and protection plans. Santinelli positions its equipment within 'The Santinelli Experience' service framework, offering consultation, installation, training, and ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SiosOptical.com: Online platform for optical supplies and accessories including ancillary equipment, exam supplies, eyewear accessories, frame parts, lab supplies, lens care products, lenses, and tools.
• The Santinelli Experience
• AdvantEdge Online Support
• Click Mode Software
• ICE Series Blockers

Products and services

• ME-1500 Lens Edger Series Industrial-grade lens edger featuring step-beveling, high-curve beveling, 3D grooving, and drilling capabilities for processing all lens materials and frame types including Chemistrie sunlenses; sold to optical labs and high-volume practices.
• LEXCE Lens Edger Retail lens edger designed for in-office finishing labs operated by optometrists and opticians.
• LEXCE Trend 8 Retail lens edger with enhanced features for in-office finishing, enabling same-day eyewear turnaround for eye care practices.
• LE-800 Edging Station Retail lens edging station for in-office finishing labs.
• Pre-Owned Edgers Certified pre-owned Santinelli lens edgers with warranty and service benefits, sold to budget-constrained eye care practitioners.
• ICE-1 Intelligent Blocker Intelligent blocker with one-touch operation, colored LCD touchscreen, pre-loaded drill mount data files, shape edit mode, and data management functions for precision lens blocking.
• ICE-1500 Blocker Advanced blocker with high-curve tracer, variable fulcrum stylus reducing pressure by 50%, QR code reading for EMR data, multi-colored touchscreen, Auto Lens Meter function, and Integrated Shape Imager for drill data capture.
• Ce 9 Manual Blocker Compact manual blocker for precise, quick blocking of all lens types including single vision, multifocal, and progressive with 90mm blank capacity, LED lighting, and decentration slide-rule.
• SE-9090 Supra Industrial Lens Edger Fourth-generation industrial edger with Crystal Cut polish, on-axis 24/7 reliability, and in-chamber grooving technology for high-volume lab processing.
• SE-9090 Supra Robotic Systems (AES-1000 and AES-2200) Automated robotic edging systems including AES-1000 (single unit with stacker or conveyor configurations) and AES-2200 (dual edger system) for high-volume industrial labs, capable of processing up to 1,600 jobs in 14 hours.
• XtremeD LT-1200 Tracer Display-screen tracer with 10.4-inch color LCD touchscreen, high-curve tracing capability, 50% less stylus pressure, 32,000 reference points per frame side digitization, 99.9% accuracy, and VCA compliance.
• XtremeD LT-980 Tracer High-curve frame tracer with fully automatic operation, variable fulcrum stylus, 50% less stylus pressure, tungsten-carbide stylus tip, and 100% gear-driven three-axis assemblies.
• iRx Server & iRx Satellite Software Internet-based remote tracing system enabling satellite locations to transmit job and trace data to a central lab; iRx Server provides data file management and iRx Satellite enables broadband transmission with VisionWeb ordering integration.
• Click Mode Software Software enabling creation of magnetic Chemistrie sunlenses and layers for any frame, with potential to increase annual profits by over $21,000 by selling four sunlenses per week.
• ME-1500 Lab Lens Edger Advanced industrial lens edger with first-to-market step-beveling technology, high-curve beveling, partial beveling, partial grooving, 3D grooving, 3D drilling, and exclusive Click Mode software for Chemistrie sunlenses.
• SiosOptical.com Optical Supplies & Accessories Online store selling high-quality optical tools, lab supplies, frame parts, consumables, ancillary equipment, exam supplies, eyewear accessories, lens care products, and lenses to optical practices and labs.
• Hybrid Protection Plan Post-warranty extended equipment protection plans with varying levels of coverage, including one FREE Preventative Maintenance Service with 56-point inspection, cleaning, calibrations, and adjustments per year.
• Santinelli Client Services Technical support call center (888.645.EDGE), factory-trained field service engineers with no subcontracting, Live Tech Chat, Video FAQs, and online support resources (AdvantEdge) for Santinelli equipment customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 30% on lab bills with in-office finishing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Special OlympicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Santinelli International has been a supporter since 2000, providing lens edging equipment and services for the Opening Eyes portion of the program. Opening Eyes provides diagnosis for vision-related problems, as well as corrective and protective eyewear free of charge. Throughout the years, several thousands of pairs of prescription eyewear have been distributed to athletes.
• OneSightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported for nearly two decades (since ~2007). Honored as 20/20 Visionary and Decade Donor in 2007. Most recently became a sponsor of OneSight's EyeRock concert benefits which support vision programs worldwide.
• VSP Mobile Clinics (Eyenstein and See Zar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated lens finishing equipment to outfit two VSP mobile eyecare clinics. Both clinics contain full-service eye exam rooms, eyewear dispensaries, and state-of-the-art lens finishing labs producing and distributing customized eyeglasses to underserved communities.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating since 2010, associates volunteer and raise funds for build materials. Brings team together to help families in need.
• World Sight Day Challenge / Optometry Giving SightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in World Sight Day Challenge, contributing toward transforming lives of over 600 million people who are blind or vision impaired due to lack of access to eye examinations and glasses.
• American Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-time contributor to disaster relief efforts, most recently supporting earthquake relief in Japan and tsunami relief across the Pacific.
• Vision ExpocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounding exhibitor of International Vision Expo. Company exhibits at Vision Expo East and Vision Expo West, which are major industry trade shows for optical equipment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Nidek: Japanese manufacturer of ophthalmic and optical equipment, including lens edgers, blockers, and tracers for retail and wholesale labs. Directly competes with Santinelli across nearly every product category in lens finishing.
• Schneider Optical Machines: German manufacturer of high-precision optical machinery for lens production and finishing, including edgers and processing systems for industrial labs. Direct competitor in the high-end industrial lens finishing tier.
• Topcon Healthcare: Offers lens finishing equipment alongside its broader diagnostic and refractive product portfolio. Overlaps directly with Santinelli's industrial and retail lab equipment, especially in the US market.
• Coburn Technologies: US-based manufacturer and distributor of optical lens processing equipment, software, and lab supplies. A direct peer in lens surfacing, finishing, and lab consumables, often cited alongside Santinelli in US optical equipment RFPs.
• Dia Optical (Korea): Korean manufacturer specializing in lens edging equipment and optical lab machinery. Competes with Santinelli in retail and wholesale lab segments, particularly on cost-competitive edger systems.
• AIT Industries: US-based supplier of optical lab equipment, including lens edgers and finishing systems, serving independent wholesale labs. Direct peer to Santinelli's industrial and lab-focused product lines.
• Huvitz: Korean maker of optical lens processing equipment (edgers, blockers, tracers) and diagnostic instruments. Direct competitor in the retail and wholesale lab lens finishing segment, with global distribution.

Broad incumbents

• EssilorLuxottica (Equipment division, formerly Briot / Gamma / Nidek-Briot): Through its equipment heritage (Briot/Gamma), supplies lens edging and finishing systems to ECPs and labs globally. Much larger and broader, but directly competes in Santinelli's core product categories.

Others

• OptiSource International: Distributor of optical supplies, lab consumables, and ancillary equipment to US ECPs and labs. Overlaps with Santinelli's SiosOptical.com business in supplies and accessories, though not a direct competitor in flagship lens edgers.

Emerging players

• US Ophthalmic (formerly OPTIGRAF): Optical equipment distributor and value-oriented lens finishing equipment provider. Competes in the more price-sensitive retail ECP segment that Santinelli also targets via pre-owned and entry-level edgers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/santinelliedge
• Facebookfacebook.com/344703098570
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santinelli-international
• Xx.com/santinelli_int

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Santinelli International