Saving Sight
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Saving Sight firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Saving Sight industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Saving Sight is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Saving Sight business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Donation Options |
| Other | Annual | 2026 Charitable Grants Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Saving Sight product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Saving Sight
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Saving Sight technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Saving Sight partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Donate Life AmericacoreDonate 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)coreEBAA 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 MissouricoreLongstanding 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 SightmajorNonprofit 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 MedicinemajorResearch 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 CentermajorResearch 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 TearscoreVital 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.
- KidSightmajorStatewide 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 FoundationmajorLions 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 ServiceminorLions 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 ProgramminorEyeglass 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 CenterminorReferral 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
Saving Sight competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Saving Sight social profiles
Digital presenceSaving Sight financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saving Sight leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Saving Sight funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saving Sight M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saving Sight
What does Saving Sight do?
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.
Is Saving Sight a public or private company?
Saving Sight is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Saving Sight founded?
Saving Sight was founded in 1960. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Saving Sight based?
Saving Sight is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Saving Sight make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Financial Donations are the primary driver. The others are tissue Processing Services, vital Tears Serum Processing and research Tissue Supply.
Who are Saving Sight's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Miracles in Sight, Eversight, Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, SightLife, Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research, Georgia Eye Bank and CorneaGen. Lone Star Lions Eye Bank is listed as a regional player. Donate Life America is listed as an others. Vital Tears is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Saving Sight have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saving Sight.
What industry is Saving Sight in?
Saving Sight's product category is Eye Banking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAF, Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK), with a secondary code of HLAHAIAL, Ocular Drug Delivery Devices (Eye Droppers/Inserts). Its NAICS code is 339115 and its SIC code is 3851.