The Eye Center
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersChampaign, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
The Eye Center firmographics
Firmographics- 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
The Eye Center industry classification
Industry- 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
Where The Eye Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Champaign
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Eye Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Clinical Eye Care Services: Revenue from comprehensive eye examinations, diagnostic services, and ongoing patient care for conditions including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
- Surgical Procedures: Revenue from cataract surgery, LASIK, retinal surgery, and other surgical interventions. Cataract surgery is performed using modern techniques with high success rates.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | LASIK Financing Option |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Eye Center product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use The Eye Center
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Eye Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Eye Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Illinois (UIUC)coreActive 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 UniversitycoreCollaboration with Prof. Alphonse Taghian on applying ophthalmological techniques to breast cancer imaging and therapy, including lymphedema detection and subsurface imaging development.
- University of MichigancoreDr. 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 InstituteminorCollaboration with Prof. Delia Debuc (former graduate student of Dr. Sayegh) on research related to differential geometry and corneal topography.
- MIT Research TeamcoreNIH-funded collaborative project involving MIT researchers for hand-held OCT device development for early diagnosis of diabetic eye disease and other conditions.
- Carle ClinicminorPart of the NIH-funded collaborative project on hand-held OCT devices for diabetic eye disease diagnosis.
- Eschenbach Optik of AmericaminorProvider of free webinars on low vision topics that The Eye Center shares with patients. Some webinars are approved for CE credits.
- CareCreditminorHealthcare 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
The Eye Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- 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
The Eye Center social profiles
Digital presenceThe Eye Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Eye Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Eye Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Eye Center 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 The Eye Center
What does The Eye Center do?
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.
Is The Eye Center a public or private company?
The Eye Center is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Eye Center founded?
The Eye Center was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Eye Center based?
The Eye Center is headquartered in Champaign, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Eye Center make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Clinical Eye Care Services are the primary driver. The others are surgical Procedures, optical Shop and Eyewear and LASIK Financing and Payment Plans.
Who are The Eye Center's main competitors?
Others on record are Heidelberg Engineering, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Carl Zeiss Meditec and Mass Eye and Ear (Massachusetts General Brigham). Broad incumbents are EyeCare Partners and US Eye (now part of EyeCare Partners). Direct peers are TLC Laser Eye Centers, LASIKPlus and LensCrafters. Carle Health (Carle Clinic) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Eye Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Eye Center.
What industry is The Eye Center in?
The Eye Center's product category is Ophthalmology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAA, Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care, with a secondary code of HLAKAKAF, Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK). Its NAICS code is 62132 and its SIC code is 8011.