Retina Foundation

What Retina Foundation does

The Retina Foundation of the Southwest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical research organization headquartered at 9600 North Central Expressway in Dallas, Texas, founded in 1975 by Drs. Albert Vaiser, William Snyder, William Hutton, and Joe Turner, Jr. It is one of only two independent nonprofit eye research institutes in the United States. The foundation organizes its work around three disease areas: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), inherited retinal diseases (IRD), and pediatric eye conditions, supported by six specialized laboratories (Molecular Ophthalmology, Henderson Ocular Stem Cell, Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations, Macular Function, Inherited Retinal Degeneration Clinic, and Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision). It runs over 60 concurrent clinical research studies covering gene therapy, CRISPR gene editing, stem cells, optogenetics, and small molecules, and has produced 400+ peer-reviewed publications, including the first CRISPR gene editing trial in humans.

Its commercializable technology portfolio includes the FDA-approved myVisionTrack iPhone app for remote AMD monitoring, the FDA-cleared Pediatric Vision Screener developed with Rebion, multiple registered patents on ocular drug delivery devices and vision testing methods (assignee: Retina Foundation of the Southwest), and a co-owned patent with Southern Methodist University on machine learning-based retinal image analysis (US11393085-B2). Foundation Fighting Blindness pledged $300,000 to support Dr. Yi-Zhong Wang's deep learning project for automatic identification of retinal structure defects.

The foundation operates a non-commercial business model: all patient services are provided free of charge with no insurance billing, so the organization generates no revenue from patients. Operating capital comes from individual donations, foundation grants, corporate philanthropy, federal research grants (NIH, NEI), and clinical trial contracts with biotech sponsors; major named supporters include the Henderson family ($1M in 2023), Debbie and Steve Gray ($2.5M in 2026), Buena Vista Foundation, Tapestry Foundation, the Fogg Charitable Trust, Foundation Fighting Blindness, and Still Water Foundation. Fundraising is executed through the annual Visionary Luncheon, the Rods & Cones Foresight Circle membership program, the Eye on Innovation education series, and direct outreach. Patient acquisition flows primarily through physician referrals with self-referrals accepted via phone (214-363-3911) and website contact forms. Distribution of services is bounded to the single Dallas research center, with geographic reach in donor and patient engagement extended through community events across Texas and Northwest Arkansas.

Name

Retina Foundation

Legal name

Retina Foundation of the Southwest

Website

https://retinafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Retina Foundation of the Southwest is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical research organization, founded in 1975, that conducts clinical trials and laboratory research on age-related macular degeneration, inherited retinal diseases, and pediatric eye conditions, delivering all patient services free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmic Research and Clinical Trial Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Ophthalmology Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ophthalmology Gene Therapies (HLAAACAG), Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE)

Keywords

• Ophthalmic clinical research
• Retinal disease treatment
• Gene therapy trials
• Stem cell research
• Pediatric vision care

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Retina Foundation relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. The foundation conducts annual fundraising events including the Visionary Luncheon and receives grants from charitable trusts.
2. Clinical Research Grants: Funding from government agencies (NIH, NEI), nonprofit foundations (Foundation Fighting Blindness, Research to Prevent Blindness), and pharmaceutical/biotech companies conducting clinical trials at the facility.
3. Patient Services (Free of Charge): All patient visits and care are provided completely free of charge thanks to donor generosity. No revenue is collected from patients directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Retina Foundation of the Southwest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical research organization that conducts clinical research and provides free patient care for degenerative retinal diseases. It runs more than 60 concurrent clinical trials in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), inherited retinal diseases (IRD), and pediatric eye conditions, and operates six specialized research laboratories supporting gene therapy, CRISPR gene editing, stem cell research, and AI-based retinal imaging. All patient services are delivered at no cost, funded by donations and research grants.

Product overview

The Retina Foundation (Retina Foundation of the Southwest) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical research organization established in 1975, dedicated to preventing vision loss and restoring sight through innovative research and treatment. The foundation operates as a unified research institution with three core disease focus areas: Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Inherited Retina Diseases (IRD), and Pediatric Eye Conditions. The organization provides its services free of charge to patients. Its portfolio includes six specialized research laboratories (Molecular Ophthalmology, Henderson Ocular Stem Cell, Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations, Macular Function, Inherited Retinal Degeneration Clinic, and Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision), the Southwest Eye Registry for patient tracking, and clinical trials spanning gene therapy, stem cells, optogenetics, and small molecules. Key products include the FDA-approved myVisionTrack™ iPhone app for remote AMD monitoring and the FDA-cleared Pediatric Vision Screener (PVS) developed with Rebion. The foundation also offers a Clinical Research Fellowship program and membership program Rods & Cones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rods & Cones Foresight Circle: Impact society membership program supporting the Retina Foundation's mission to save and preserve vision. Members receive access to private events, social engagements, and early access to research breakthroughs.
• Eye on Innovation
• Visionary Luncheon
• Southwest Eye Registry

Products and services

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Research & Clinical Trials Program Comprehensive research and clinical trial program for AMD, including groundbreaking clinical trials, stem cell research, genetic editing, and the AMD Stem Cell Sibling Study investigating why some siblings develop AMD while others with the same genetic markers do not. Includes the Molecular Ophthalmology Lab, Henderson Ocular Stem Cell Lab, and Clinical Center of Innovation for AMD. Provided free of charge to patients.
• Inherited Retina Diseases (IRD) Research & Clinical Trials Program Research program investigating genes responsible for inherited eye diseases including retinitis pigmentosa, x-linked retinoschisis, Stargardt disease, choroideremia, Usher syndrome, and Leber congenital amaurosis. Includes gene therapy, stem cell, optogenetics, and small molecule clinical trials, along with genetic testing and counseling. Provided free of charge to patients.
• Pediatric Eye Conditions Research Program
• myVisionTrack™ App FDA-approved iPhone application enabling ophthalmologists to remotely monitor AMD patient progression between appointments. The app alerts ophthalmologists when patient vision loss test results indicate disease progression, enabling earlier intervention.
• Pediatric Vision Screener (PVS)
• Southwest Eye Registry
• Clinical Research Fellowship in Medical Retina One-year post-residency fellowship providing training on all aspects of clinical research in AMD and inherited retinal degenerations. Fellows gain experience in clinical trial design, retinal imaging interpretation, and involvement in phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 years of sight-saving research and innovation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foundation Fighting BlindnesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Dr. Pennesi serves on the executive committee for the Foundation Fighting Blindness Clinical Consortium and is a member of their Scientific Advisory Board. Foundation Fighting Blindness pledged $300,000 to support Dr. Wang's AI project.
• ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023ARPA-H Dallas' new federal biotechnology hub. Retina Foundation hosted the first Immersive Experience for ARPA-H representatives to learn about clinical trial agility and success.
• Still Water FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partnership to advance healthcare innovation in Texas. Still Water Foundation has invested in the Retina Foundation's ocular drug delivery device development and collaborates on Texas 2036 initiatives to improve healthcare access and broadband connectivity.
• Texas 2036coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the digital divide and achieving universal broadband access in Texas. Partners with Retina Foundation on healthcare policy initiatives and telemedicine infrastructure.
• DFW Hospital CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Partnership for healthcare discussions and collaboration on advancing healthcare in Texas.
• Mayo CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Collaboration on innovative lazy eye treatment research, specifically improving standard treatment of eye patching for children with lazy eye.
• Southern Methodist UniversitycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2023Joint research partnership on AI/machine learning for retinal image analysis. Listed as co-assignee on patent US11393085-B2.
• Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Clinical trial partnership for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) gene therapy. Retina Foundation is one of four U.S. centers conducting Phase 1/2 dose escalation trial.
• OHSU Casey Eye InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Dr. Pennesi previously served as chief of the Paul H. Casey Ophthalmic Genetics Division. First CRISPR gene editing in humans trial conducted in partnership with this institution.
• RebioncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2018Technology company partnership to create, evaluate, and receive FDA approval for the Pediatric Vision Screener (PVS), a device that quickly and accurately evaluates vision of children 2 to 6 years of age. Selected as Partner of the Year.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foundation Fighting Blindness: A nonprofit funding IRD research that is the foundation's closest peer in mission and patient population. FFB co-funds the foundation's AI research ($300K grant) and Dr. Pennesi sits on FFB's Clinical Consortium executive committee, making them both collaborators and peers competing for the same philanthropic research dollars.
• Research to Prevent Blindness: A nonprofit that funds ophthalmic research across U.S. institutions, including having recognized the Retina Foundation. It operates with a similar model of grant-making and research support for vision science, making it a natural peer in the eye-research nonprofit ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Casey Eye Institute (OHSU): Academic ophthalmology institute where Dr. Pennesi previously led the Ophthalmic Genetics Division and co-led the first CRISPR gene editing trial in humans. A direct scientific collaborator and peer in IRD clinical research, though broader in scope and with academic hospital backing.
• Wilmer Eye Institute (Johns Hopkins): Where Dr. Csaky completed his retina fellowship. One of the largest academic eye research institutions in the U.S., with deeper resources and broader disease coverage, competing for the same investigator talent and grant dollars.
• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (University of Miami): A top-ranked academic eye research and treatment center. Comparable in running first-in-human clinical trials and advanced retinal research, with greater scale and an integrated hospital system.
• Mass Eye and Ear (Harvard): Harvard-affiliated specialty hospital for ophthalmology and otolaryngology. Comparable in translational retinal research, with the additional scale and funding of an academic medical center.
• Spark Therapeutics: A gene therapy company (now part of Roche) that developed the first FDA-approved gene therapy for an inherited retinal disease (Luxturna). A commercial peer/partner that competes for IRD clinical trial sites and translational leadership.

Emerging players

• Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC): A clinical-stage biotech developing gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases, including the X-linked retinitis pigmentosa trial the Retina Foundation co-runs. A commercial counterpart that depends on sites like the Retina Foundation for trial execution.
• Editas Medicine: A clinical-stage CRISPR gene editing company whose work intersects directly with the foundation's CRISPR IRD program. Both organizations are pushing the leading edge of in vivo gene editing for retinal disease.

Regional players

• Texas Retina Associates: A large Dallas-based retinal clinical practice located adjacent to the Retina Foundation. A natural regional referral source and partner for patient recruitment, and the largest retinal care provider in the foundation's home market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RetinaFoundationDallas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/retina-foundation
• Xx.com/RetinaFndation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Retina Foundation