ICTER

What ICTER does

ICTER (International Centre for Translational Eye Research) is a publicly funded translational eye research institution founded in 2019 in Warsaw, Poland, operating as a unit of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF PAN). It is led by Prof. Maciej Wojtkowski, a pioneer of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SdOCT) and inventor of the first clinical SdOCT device, and is organized into five research groups spanning physical optics and biophotonics, integrated structural biology, image-guided ophthalmic devices, ophthalmic biology, and parallel interferometry and computational optics.

The centre's core technology portfolio centers on advanced optical imaging and computational methods for the eye, including the proprietary STOC-T (Spatio-Temporal Optical Coherence Tomography) platform, two-photon excited fluorescence scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (TPEF-SLO), intraoperative OCT with 200 Hz tool tracking, air-puff OCT for corneal biomechanics, whole-eye scanning, optical biometry, and a smartphone-based optical palpation technique. Complementing the imaging work, ICTER conducts CryoEM and small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of phototransduction proteins for drug target discovery, and pursues optogenetic and gene-therapy approaches to vision restoration. The portfolio targets clinical ophthalmology applications (AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataract surgery planning), academic vision science, and adjacent opportunities such as AR display technology.

ICTER does not operate a commercial revenue model. Its funding is derived from multi-year, multi-program public grants — FNP International Research Agendas (MAB), European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG), the Polish National Science Centre (NCN), and Horizon Europe Teaming for Excellence — supplemented by international research collaborations with UCL, UC Irvine, and the Lithuanian Center for Physical Sciences and Technology. Technology transfer runs through academic licensing and spin-off companies (notably InCell Vu, with AM2M as a prior spin-out), and stakeholder engagement is built around the annual CRATER translational eye research conference.

Name

ICTER

Legal name

International Centre for Translational Eye Research

Website

https://icter.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ICTER is a Warsaw-based translational eye research institute under the Polish Academy of Sciences, developing advanced optical imaging technologies — including STOC-T, two-photon fluorescence, and intraoperative OCT — to improve diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, funded primarily through EU and Polish public grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmic Research

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (3345)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAHAJAH

Cataract Surgery Systems & IOLs (Phaco Systems, IOLs, Intraoperative Aberrometry, Viscoelastics)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Medical Devices & Diagnostics/Ophthalmic Devices (Vision Care & Surgical)

SECONDARYHLALAGAL

Ophthalmology & Vision Telemedicine Platforms

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Telehealth Platforms/Specialty Telemedicine Platforms (e.g., dermatology, cardiology, neurology)

Keywords

• Ophthalmic research
• Translational eye research
• Optical imaging technology
• Biomedical research services
• Medical imaging devices

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EU Research Funding: Major funding from Horizon Europe Teaming for Excellence (2024), International Research Agendas Programme through European Funds for Modern Economy (FENG), and Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) MAB grants.
2. National Science Centre Grants: Polish National Science Centre (NCN) funding including DAINA 2 Polish-Lithuanian collaborative project and other national research grants.
3. Proof of Concept Funding: Additional FNP funding streams including Proof of Concept grants for technology validation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICTER (International Centre for Translational Eye Research) is a research institution focused on translational eye research, developing advanced optical imaging technologies for diagnosing and treating eye diseases. It conducts fundamental and applied research in ophthalmology as part of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland, producing proprietary imaging modalities and supporting clinical translation.

Product overview

ICTER (International Centre for Translational Eye Research) is a research institution focused on translational eye research, developing advanced optical imaging technologies rather than commercial products. The portfolio centers on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technologies, including the proprietary STOC-T (Spatio-Temporal Optical Coherence Tomography) system that enables high-resolution volumetric imaging of the retina and cornea. Key offerings include two-photon excited fluorescence imaging for in vivo retinal visualization, intraoperative OCT for surgical guidance, air-puff OCT for corneal biomechanics assessment, and smartphone-based optical palpation for telehealth elastography. ICTER also develops whole-eye scanners and ocular biometers for diagnostic applications, with some technologies spun off through companies like In Cell Vu.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STOC-T Single-pixel optical imaging/computed tomography technology designed for imaging through opaque and scattering media, including biological tissues. Developed as a research capability at ICTER for applications in ophthalmic imaging.
• TPEF-SLO Two-Photon Excitation Fluorescence Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy system for non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the retina at a cellular level, used in basic and translational vision research.
• Two-Photon Vision Technology Two-photon excitation-based technology for vision research, enabling study of retinal function and visual processing with cellular resolution. Targeted at neuroscience and ophthalmology researchers.
• Smartphone-based Optical Palpation Diagnostic platform that uses a smartphone to perform optical palpation measurements of tissue mechanical properties, designed for accessible ophthalmic and biomedical diagnostics.
• Intraoperative OCT System Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system engineered for use during ophthalmic surgery, providing real-time high-resolution imaging to support surgical decision-making.
• Whole-Eye Scanner Imaging platform for comprehensive scanning of the entire eye, combining multiple imaging modalities to capture full ocular structure for research and clinical evaluation.
• Air-Puff OCT Optical Coherence Tomography system that uses an air-puff stimulus to measure corneal biomechanical properties and dynamic response, supporting research into corneal biomechanics and disease.
• Optical Biometer Instrument for measuring the optical and biometric properties of the eye, supporting ophthalmic diagnostics and pre-clinical/surgical planning research.

Quantifiable outcome

• First clinical SdOCT device for eye imaging developed by Prof. Wojtkowski's team
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Candela FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-organizer of CRATER 2025 conference alongside ICTER and IChF PAN. Foundation supporting science communication and collaboration between science and clinics.
• State research institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuania)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021DAINA 2 project partner for volumetric image reconstruction research. Project 2020/38/L/ST2/00556 running 2021-2025, focusing on filtering redundant phase information in optical imaging.
• Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF PAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ICTER is a unit of IChF PAN,host institution providing infrastructure, administrative support, and integration with broader research programs. Prof. Wojtkowski leads the Department of Physical Chemistry of Biological Systems at IChF PAN.
• University College London (UCL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner collaborating on vision research and optical imaging technologies. UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is a leading eye research institution.
• University of California Irvine (UCI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner for eye research collaboration, particularly in visual optics and imaging technologies.
• InCell Vu (Spin-off)coreTechnology or IntegrationCo-founded by Prof. Wojtkowski, commercializing OCT imaging technology developed at ICTER. Prototype being developed for clinical diagnostics.
• European Commission (DG REGIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy visited ICTER to see EU-funded research progress. Recognition of ICTER as success story of European collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI): Translational ophthalmic research institute combining basic science with clinical applications. Most directly comparable to ICTER's translational eye research mandate and multi-disciplinary group structure.
• Wills Eye Hospital: US specialty eye hospital with translational research arm — comparable model combining clinical ophthalmology with imaging and device innovation, parallel to ICTER's clinical partnership strategy.
• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: Top-ranked US eye research and treatment center with a translational research mission spanning imaging, drug discovery, and clinical trials — comparable institutional model to ICTER.
• UCL Institute of Ophthalmology: World-leading eye research institute and ICTER's named academic partner; runs parallel research programs in ocular imaging and structural biology with joint publications and student exchange.

Emerging players

• Wasatch Photonics: Developer of OCT and spectroscopy instrumentation for industrial and biomedical applications — adjacent technology peer in advanced optical imaging, particularly relevant to STOC-T and spectral-domain IP.
• Imagine Eyes: Specialized developer of adaptive optics retinal imaging — the same core technology ICTER pursues in STOC-T and computational aberration correction, addressing ophthalmic research and clinical imaging.

Broad incumbents

• Carl Zeiss Meditec: Global leader in ophthalmic surgical microscopy, IOLs, and OCT-based diagnostics. Direct overlap with ICTER's intraoperative OCT and cataract surgery planning device development.
• Heidelberg Engineering GmbH: Established commercial manufacturer of clinical OCT and confocal imaging systems used in ophthalmology. Represents the incumbent product category that ICTER-originated OCT IP and InCell Vu would compete against.
• Nidek Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of ophthalmic diagnostic and surgical equipment including OCT and optical biometers. Comparable to ICTER's Whole-Eye Scanner and Optical Biometer device focus areas.
• Optopol Technology (now part of Canon): Polish-origin OCT manufacturer that translates optical imaging innovation into clinical devices — illustrative of the commercialization pathway ICTER's InCell Vu spin-off is pursuing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/icter_pl
• Facebookfacebook.com/icterresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-centre-for-translational-eye-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ICTER