Saving Sight

What Saving Sight does

Saving Sight (legal name: Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit eye bank founded in 1960 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The organization facilitates the gift of eye donation and supplies processed corneal tissue to ophthalmologists and hospitals across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, maintaining a top-five national ranking for corneas placed for transplantation. Its operations span donor family support, hospital-based donation coordination, tissue procurement, and 24/7 distribution to surgical customers via a phone/fax/online iTransplant ordering system. The organization is governed by a board drawn primarily from Missouri Lions Club Multiple District 26 and is embedded in a long-standing partnership network with Lions Clubs, Donate Life America, and the Eye Bank Association of America.

The core product portfolio comprises processed corneal tissue for multiple transplant procedures: DSAEK and DMEK (including surgeon-ready pre-loaded versions), PKP/LK full-thickness and lamellar keratoplasty, ALK, and sclera. Adjacent offerings include Vital Tears autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs), for which Saving Sight is co-founder and exclusive processor, as well as BRIGHTMEM and a research tissue service supplying whole globes, corneas, lenses, and conjunctiva to medical researchers. All operations follow FDA Good Tissue Practices (21 CFR 1271) and EBAA medical standards, supported by US FDA establishment registration, Health Canada registration, state licenses, and EBAA accreditation.

The revenue model blends fee-for-service tissue processing for surgeons and hospitals (corneal tissue and Vital Tears ASEDs), transaction-based research tissue supply to academic and medical researchers, and philanthropic income comprising individual one-time and recurring donations, tribute gifts, and a formalized Charitable Grants Program (2026 total of $60,000 to four community partners). Distribution is direct via a regional office and hospital-development representative network covering Wichita, Kansas City, Southwest Missouri, Eastern Missouri, and Central Illinois. Customer segments include eye surgeons, hospitals, medical examiners/coroners, funeral homes, ocular surface disease patients, and community partners.

Name

Saving Sight

Legal name

Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation

Website

https://saving-sight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Saving Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit eye bank founded in 1960 and headquartered in Kansas City that processes corneal tissue (DSAEK, DMEK, PKP/LK, ALK, Sclera), supplies autologous serum eye drops via Vital Tears, and provides research tissue across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye Banking Services

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (423460)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ocular Drug Delivery Devices (Eye Droppers/Inserts) (HLAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Eye banking services
• Corneal tissue processing
• Donor recovery coordination
• Autologous serum production
• Vision research support

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Donations: Saving Sight accepts one-time and recurring donations (monthly/yearly) from individuals who support the mission of changing lives by saving sight. The organization operates a Monthly Giving Program for sustained support.
2. Tissue Processing Services: Saving Sight provides processed corneal tissue (DSAEK, DMEK, PKP/LK, ALK, Sclera) to surgeons and eye care professionals for transplant procedures. Tissue is available 7 days a week through phone, fax, or online requests.
3. Vital Tears Serum Processing: As co-founder and processor of Vital Tears, Saving Sight processes autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface condition patients. Vital Tears coordinates payment with patients while Saving Sight handles the blood collection and serum processing.
4. Research Tissue Supply: Saving Sight provides eye tissue (whole globes, corneas, lenses, conjunctiva) to medical researchers studying ocular conditions including glaucoma, cataracts, corneal disease, and retinal disorders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Saving Sight is a nonprofit eye bank that recovers, processes, and distributes donor corneal tissue (DSAEK, DMEK, PKP/LK, ALK, Sclera, including pre-loaded variants) for transplant surgeons and eye care professionals across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois. It also produces Vital Tears autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface patients and supplies research tissue to medical investigators.

Product overview

Saving Sight is a nonprofit eye bank offering a comprehensive portfolio of corneal tissue processing and related services. The core offerings include multiple types of corneal transplant tissue processing services: DSAEK (Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty), DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty), PKP/LK (Penetrating Keratoplasty/Lamellar Keratoplasty), and ALK (Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty). Both pre-loaded versions of DSAEK and DMEK are available, where tissue is pre-loaded by the eye bank for surgeon convenience. Additional offerings include scleral tissue processing and research tissue services providing whole globes, corneas, lenses, and conjunctiva for medical research. The portfolio also includes Vital Tears, an autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs) processing service for patients with ocular surface conditions. BRIGHTMEM is another tissue service offered. All tissue is stored, processed, and distributed according to FDA, Good Tissue Practices 21 CFR 1271, and EBAA medical standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vital Tears: Autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs) - Saving Sight serves as the processor for all Vital Tears orders and is a co-founder/business partner of Vital Tears.

Products and services

• Pre-loaded DSAEK
• Pre-loaded DMEK
• DSAEK
• DMEK
• PKP/LK
• ALK
• Sclera
• Vital Tears
• Research Tissue Services
• BRIGHTMEM

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 56,800 children screened for vision issues through KidSight program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Donate Life AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDonate Life America is a national nonprofit organization that manages the donor registry. Saving Sight partners to promote organ, eye, and tissue donation registration through the registerme.org platform and Donate Life branding.
• Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBAA is the primary accrediting body for eye banks in the United States. Saving Sight maintains EBAA accreditation and adheres to their medical standards for eye banking operations.
• Missouri Lions / Lions of MissouricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with Missouri Lions Clubs since 1960. Lions provide volunteer support, financial contributions, and community outreach for vision care programs. Saving Sight publishes Lions Insight newsletter and recognizes outstanding Lions ambassadors annually.
• Fight for SightmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization supporting eye and vision research. Saving Sight and Fight for Sight jointly fund Summer Student Fellowships ($2,500 each) for undergraduate, graduate, or medical students conducting ocular research. The organizations also co-awarded a $2,500 scholarship to Boston University School of Medicine student Min Tae Kim.
• Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of MedicinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Dr. Roy Chuck's team on multiple studies including donor age expansion effects, diabetes impact on corneal transplant suitability, DMEK processing damage factors, and cornea storage solutions. Saving Sight provides corneal tissue data and specimens for research.
• University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Dr. Jody Summers studying myopia development and sclera remodeling. Saving Sight provides whole globes and poles for research on the extracellular matrix of the sclera and retinoic acid synthesis.
• Vital TearscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVital Tears is the leader in autologous serum eye drops. Saving Sight is a co-founder and serves as the processor for all Vital Tears orders. Saving Sight handles blood collection and serum processing at its lab while Vital Tears manages online ordering, payment coordination, and delivery.
• KidSightmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide vision screening program for children. Saving Sight's Charitable Grants Program provided $28,500 in 2026 to support KidSight's expansion of screening programs that screened more than 56,800 children.
• Missouri Lions Eye Mission FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLions organization conducting eye missions statewide. Saving Sight's Charitable Grants Program provided $16,500 in 2026 to purchase Spot Vision Screeners and support vision mission events.
• Mid-South Lions Sight & Hearing ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLions organization providing vision and hearing services. Received $10,000 in 2026 charitable grant to provide comprehensive vision care for Missouri patients.
• Show Me Lions Eyeglass Recycling ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEyeglass recycling program that prepares glasses for vision missions. Received $5,000 in 2026 charitable grant to purchase a lensometer for increased processing capacity.
• Mid-South Sight and Hearing CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for advanced eye care. When patients' vision cannot be corrected with glasses, Lion Teri Page connects them with this center in Memphis for additional care.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Miracles in Sight: Nonprofit eye bank providing corneal tissue for transplant and research across the southeastern US. Direct comparable to Saving Sight on mission, EBAA accreditation, hospital development partnerships, and tissue processing portfolio.
• Eversight: One of the largest US eye banks, providing corneal tissue for transplant, research, and education across multiple states. Direct comparable to Saving Sight in mission, EBAA accreditation, and hospital-partnership model, though operating at a larger geographic scale.
• Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank: Lions-affiliated eye bank serving the Rocky Mountain region with corneal tissue recovery, processing, and distribution. Highly comparable to Saving Sight on Lions governance, mission focus, and tissue processing service portfolio.
• SightLife: Nonprofit eye bank providing donor corneal tissue for transplant and research with global prevention programs. Closely comparable to Saving Sight on services (tissue processing, surgeon support) and mission, with a similarly diversified hospital partnership model.
• Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research: Florida-based nonprofit eye bank affiliated with Lions Clubs that provides corneal tissue for transplant and research. Highly comparable to Saving Sight on Lions-affiliated governance, EBAA accreditation, and hospital-development-led growth motion.
• Georgia Eye Bank: EBAA-accredited nonprofit eye bank recovering, processing, and distributing corneal tissue for transplant and research. Closely comparable to Saving Sight on services, regulatory standing, and partnership model, though serving a different geographic region.
• CorneaGen: US eye bank providing donor corneal tissue for transplant, including innovations in tissue processing and delivery. Comparable to Saving Sight on DSAEK/DMEK processing capabilities and surgeon-focused services, with broader national distribution.

Regional players

• Lone Star Lions Eye Bank: Lions-affiliated nonprofit eye bank providing corneal tissue for transplant across Texas. Comparable to Saving Sight on Lions-driven operating model and tissue processing services, but operating in a different geography.

Others

• Donate Life America: National nonprofit managing the donor registry and promoting organ, eye, and tissue donation. Not a direct competitor but a critical ecosystem partner to Saving Sight, comparable as a key stakeholder in the donation pipeline that Saving Sight depends on for tissue supply.

Broad incumbents

• Vital Tears: Provider of autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface disease, of which Saving Sight is a co-founder and processor. Comparable as a commercial extension of Saving Sight's service portfolio, illustrating overlap in ocular surface therapeutics rather than competing directly on corneal tissue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/wearesavingsight
• Facebookfacebook.com/wesavesight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saving-sight
• Instagraminstagram.com/wesavesight
• Xx.com/WeSaveSight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saving Sight