The Eye Center

What The Eye Center does

The Eye Center is a privately held ophthalmology practice founded in 2001 by Dr. Samir Sayegh, operating two clinical locations in Champaign and Mattoon, Illinois, serving Central Illinois communities (with marketing reach referencing Champaign, Chicago, Danville, Mattoon, and Terre Haute, Indiana). The practice delivers comprehensive eye care services including cataract surgery (utilizing no-stitch, no-shot, no-patch microsurgery and toric intraocular lenses), LASIK laser vision correction, macular degeneration treatment, diabetic retinopathy management, glaucoma treatment, and routine family eye examinations, supported by an on-site optical shop selling designer-brand eyewear (Nike, Coach, Columbia, Guess, Flexon, Brooks Brothers, Bella) with Crizal and Transition lens products.

The practice's clinical offering is differentiated by proprietary and advanced technology: a patented method for optimal toric IOL use, the in-house UniversIOL software for intraocular lens selection, Mathematica-based matrix methods for IOL power calculations, and diagnostic/surgical equipment including Heidelberg OCT (3D retinal imaging), IOLMaster biometry, Cassini, iTrace, and femtosecond laser systems. Dr. Sayegh also maintains an active research program, including an NIH-funded 5-year project with UIUC, MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard, Welch Allyn, Texas Instruments, and Carle Clinic on handheld OCT devices for early diabetic eye disease diagnosis, plus a granted patent on toric IOL methods.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model with appointments scheduled by phone or online form, walk-in availability, and acceptance of major insurance carriers (Eyemed, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, Medicare, Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare). Revenue is generated through professional services (clinical exams, surgical procedures), hardware/retail sales (optical shop), and financing-enabled transactions (LASIK financing via CareCredit starting at $37/eye/month). The firm has 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no M&A history; it functions as an independent single-physician-anchored specialty practice with academic-research adjuncts rather than a multi-site scalable enterprise.

Name

The Eye Center

Legal name

The Eye Center

Website

https://2020eyecenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Eye Center is a privately held ophthalmology practice founded in 2001 by Dr. Samir Sayegh, operating two clinics in Champaign and Mattoon, Illinois, serving Central Illinois patients with cataract surgery, LASIK, retina disease management, glaucoma care, and an on-site optical shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE), Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO), Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Cataract surgery
• Laser vision correction
• Diabetic eye care
• Optical retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Clinical Eye Care Services: Revenue from comprehensive eye examinations, diagnostic services, and ongoing patient care for conditions including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
2. Surgical Procedures: Revenue from cataract surgery, LASIK, retinal surgery, and other surgical interventions. Cataract surgery is performed using modern techniques with high success rates.
3. Optical Shop and Eyewear: The Eye Center Optical Shop sells prescription eyewear including contact lenses, frames from brands like NIKE, Coach, Columbia, Guess, Flexon, Brooks Brothers, and Bella, along with lens products featuring Crizal anti-reflective treatments and Transition lenses.
4. LASIK Financing and Payment Plans: LASIK financing options starting at $37/eye/month and no interest payment plans through CareCredit for vision correction procedures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Eye Center is a private ophthalmology practice delivering comprehensive medical and surgical eye care, including cataract surgery with advanced intraocular lens options, LASIK laser vision correction, and treatment for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. The practice also operates an on-site optical shop selling prescription eyewear and contact lenses, and supports patients with routine eye examinations across all ages.

Product overview

The Eye Center is a medical eye care practice founded in 2001 offering comprehensive ophthalmology services across multiple locations in Illinois. The core offering consists of medical/surgical services including cataract surgery (with advanced astigmatism-correcting toric IOLs), LASIK laser vision correction, macular degeneration treatment, diabetic eye care, glaucoma treatment, and general family eye care. The practice operates an on-site optical shop for prescription eyewear. Technology-enabled offerings include UniversIOL (a proprietary IOL selection software), Heidelberg OCT 3D imaging, femtosecond laser surgery capabilities, and comprehensive preoperative biometry using IOLMaster and ultrasound. Results in cataract surgery reportedly surpass those of the most advanced centers nationwide and worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cataract Surgery Surgical procedure to remove cataracts (clouding of the eye's natural lens) and replace with artificial intraocular lenses; uses no-stitch, no-shot, no-patch microsurgery techniques and offers toric intraocular lenses for astigmatism correction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cataract surgery results surpass those of the most advanced centers nationwide and worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Illinois (UIUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive research collaboration with University of Illinois on multiple projects including a 5-year NIH-funded project implementing handheld OCT devices for early diagnosis of diabetic eye disease. Dr. Sayegh serves as a tenured professor and leads clinical ophthalmic applications in collaboration with Prof. Steve Boppart.
• Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Alphonse Taghian on applying ophthalmological techniques to breast cancer imaging and therapy, including lymphedema detection and subsurface imaging development.
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Sayegh conducted fellowship at National Science Foundation Center for Ultrafast Optical Sciences where he led a team developing applications of ultrafast lasers to eye surgery. Ongoing collaboration with Prof. Franco Nori on differential geometry and corneal topography.
• Bascom Palmer Eye InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Delia Debuc (former graduate student of Dr. Sayegh) on research related to differential geometry and corneal topography.
• MIT Research TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIH-funded collaborative project involving MIT researchers for hand-held OCT device development for early diagnosis of diabetic eye disease and other conditions.
• Carle ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the NIH-funded collaborative project on hand-held OCT devices for diabetic eye disease diagnosis.
• Eschenbach Optik of AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvider of free webinars on low vision topics that The Eye Center shares with patients. Some webinars are approved for CE credits.
• CareCreditminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealthcare financing partner offering no interest payment plans for LASIK and other vision care procedures at The Eye Center.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Heidelberg Engineering: Manufacturer of the Heidelberg OCT platform that The Eye Center uses clinically. Comparable as an enabling technology partner rather than a competitor; relevant for assessing the supply-side of advanced retinal imaging.
• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: Top-ranked academic ophthalmology department affiliated with University of Miami. Comparable on the subspecialty clinical and research axis — particularly retina — and an active collaborator of Dr. Sayegh, but not a direct commercial competitor.
• Carl Zeiss Meditec: Global ophthalmic device manufacturer producing IOLMaster biometry, surgical microscopes, and laser systems used in cataract and refractive surgery. Comparable as a strategic technology supplier to The Eye Center and to the broader specialty.
• Mass Eye and Ear (Massachusetts General Brigham): Harvard-affiliated academic ophthalmology center collaborating with Dr. Sayegh on breast-cancer-related ophthalmic imaging. Comparable as a research and subspecialty clinical peer; not a direct regional competitor.

Broad incumbents

• EyeCare Partners: Large PE-backed ophthalmology and optometry platform operating hundreds of clinics across the U.S. Comparable as a multi-site ophthalmology provider with surgical, medical, and optical services; differs in scale, capital base, and multi-state footprint.
• US Eye (now part of EyeCare Partners): PE-backed regional ophthalmology and optometry roll-up in the Southeastern U.S. Comparable in service mix (cataract, retina, LASIK, optical) but operates at significantly greater scale and with employed physician model.

Direct peers

• TLC Laser Eye Centers: National LASIK and refractive surgery chain offering laser vision correction at multiple centers. Directly comparable on the LASIK/refractive service line and patient-financing model (CareCredit), though broader than The Eye Center's clinical scope.
• LASIKPlus: Multi-location U.S. refractive surgery provider specializing in LASIK and PRK. Comparable as a direct-to-consumer laser vision correction competitor, though lacks the broader medical/surgical ophthalmology and optical retail offerings of The Eye Center.
• LensCrafters: National optical retail chain selling prescription eyewear and contact lenses inside or adjacent to eye exams. Directly comparable on the optical shop / prescription eyewear revenue stream, though lacks The Eye Center's medical and surgical ophthalmology depth.

Regional players

• Carle Health (Carle Clinic): Regional integrated health system headquartered in Urbana, IL, with an ophthalmology presence in the same Champaign County market. A direct regional competitor for ophthalmology referrals, optical services, and surgical cases in Central Illinois.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/2020EYECenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2020eyecenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Eye Center