MESCA Foundation

What MESCA Foundation does

MESCA Foundation (Medical Excellence and Science in Central Asia) is a non-governmental, non-profit charitable organization established in Switzerland in 2021 and launched in Uzbekistan in 2022 by Uzbek entrepreneur Bakhtiyor Fazilov. The foundation sponsors medical and clinical research and direct healthcare delivery in ophthalmology, with a primary focus on keratoconus detection and treatment in Central Asia. Its portfolio comprises the Femto-CAIRS pilot project (corneal allograft intrastromal rings implanted via femtosecond laser for post-keratoconus vision rehabilitation), the SMART CXL (Small, Mobile, Affordable, Reliable Technology) portfolio for corneal cross-linking, Project 21 — a keratoconus screening program for pediatric Down syndrome patients — and construction of the National Eye Institute in Tashkent.

The foundation operates on a philanthropy and impact-investment funding model: all screenings, treatments, and educational programs are provided free of charge, with the foundation's go-to-market being event-driven — screening events at public venues such as Sky Club at Tashkent City Mall, medical master classes, and professional symposiums such as 'Keratoconus: from early detection to post-operative care'. Its customers/beneficiaries are vulnerable pediatric populations (children with Down syndrome and the general 6–18 age group), Uzbekistan-based healthcare professionals, and medical institutions such as the Andijan State Medical Institute and Samarkand State Medical Institute. Strategic partnerships with ELZA Institute (Zurich), Light for Sight Foundation, Tabasuum, the Agency of Social Protection under the President of Uzbekistan, and the Swiss Embassy in Uzbekistan provide clinical expertise, patient access, and diplomatic support. Leadership comprises Chairman Bakhtiyor Fazilov and Board Members Nikki Leilah Hafezi (also CEO of the National Eye Institute) and Rano Adilova.

Name

MESCA Foundation

Legal name

MESCA Foundation

Website

https://mesca.uz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MESCA Foundation is a Switzerland-incorporated non-profit that funds ophthalmology research and free keratoconus screening and treatment in Uzbekistan, primarily serving pediatric Down syndrome patients and training local clinicians through partnerships with ELZA Institute and Uzbek medical institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Medical Foundation - Ophthalmology

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Cornea & External Disease Surgical Devices (Keratoplasty Tools, Cross-Linking Systems, Amniotic Membrane Delivery) (HLAHAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology research
• Keratoconus treatment
• Corneal cross-linking
• Medical charity foundation
• Vision healthcare access

Headquarters

HQ city

Baar

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations and Impact Investments: The foundation operates as a charitable non-profit funded through donations and philanthropic impact investments. Founder Bakhtiyor Fazilov provides funding to support medical research, infrastructure development (including the National Eye Institute), and healthcare outreach programs. All medical services, screenings, and educational programs are provided free of charge to patients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

MESCA Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that provides free ophthalmology services focused on keratoconus detection and treatment in Central Asia. Its core offerings include free keratoconus screening programs for children and adolescents, Femto-CAIRS surgical treatment, Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) using SMART technology, and the National Eye Institute medical facility under construction in Uzbekistan. All services are provided at no cost to patients, funded through philanthropic donations and impact investments.

Product overview

MESCA Foundation operates as a charitable organization offering a portfolio of medical services centered on ophthalmology and vision care in Central Asia. The core offerings include the Femto-CAIRS surgical treatment using corneal allograft intrastromal rings for keratoconus patients, Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) procedures using SMART technology, and free keratoconus screening programs targeting children and high-risk populations like Down Syndrome patients. The foundation is constructing the National Eye Institute in Uzbekistan as a state-of-the-art medical facility. Additionally, MESCA provides medical education and training programs through partnerships with international institutions like the ELZA Institute. Project 21 focuses on keratoconus research and screening in pediatric Down Syndrome patients. These services are delivered through a combination of direct medical services, partnerships with healthcare institutions, and community outreach programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Femto-CAIRS A surgical treatment project utilizing corneal allograft intrastromal rings (CAIRS) with femtosecond laser technology to improve vision in patients who have undergone keratoconus treatment.
• Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) Treatment procedure using SMART (Small, Mobile, Affordable, Reliable Technology) portfolio devices for arresting progression of keratoconus and infectious keratitis.
• Keratoconus Screening Programs Free screening programs for keratoconus detection in children and adolescents, including specialized screenings for Down Syndrome patients.
• Project 21 - Keratoconus in Pediatric Down Syndrome Patients Screening initiative targeting keratoconus in children and adolescents with Down Syndrome, who are at heightened risk due to pre-existing disposition to connective tissue disorders.
• Medical Education and Training Continuing medical education programs including hands-on wet labs, educational presentations, training exchanges for medical residents, technical staff, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
• National Eye Institute State-of-the-art hospital under construction in Uzbekistan providing advanced clinical and surgical services in ophthalmology, with facilities for medical education and training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 113-117 families enrolled in keratoconus screening program for Down syndrome children, with 65+ children successfully screened
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Swiss Embassy in UzbekistanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 November 2024Co-organization of free keratoconus screenings for children aged 6-18 years in November 2024. Partnership provides diplomatic support and venue access through Sky Club at Tashkent City Mall.
• Samarkand State Medical InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Collaborated in Samarkand screening event (June 2024) for children with Down syndrome. Expanded medical services beyond ophthalmology and audiology to include dentistry.
• Andijan State Medical InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2024Cooperation agreement signed in Andijan on March 14, 2024 for medical education and research. Involves exchange of teachers, researchers and students, exchange of information and literature. Cooperation brings research ideas, clinical educational courses, surgical trainings, and public health initiatives.
• Agency of Social Protection (Uzbekistan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2024Government partnership for keratoconus screenings in Andijan (March 2024) and Samarkand (June 2024). The agency provides access to families with Down syndrome children through regional departments. Partnership between private and public sectors for efficient outreach to special needs children.
• Tashkent International Medical CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Assisted MESCA Foundation in conducting screening examinations of children with Down syndrome in March 2024. Provided clinical expertise and facilities for the screening program.
• Light for Sight Foundation (Zurich, Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Collaboration for keratoconus screening programs targeting children with Down syndrome. The Light for Sight Foundation provides resources and expertise for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of keratoconus in Project 21. Partnership covers multiple screening events in Tashkent, Andijan, and Samarkand.
• Tabasuum (Uzbekistan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Patient organization supporting families with children with Down syndrome. Tabasuum helps identify and enroll families in the keratoconus screening program. Partnership enables outreach to vulnerable populations requiring special needs support.
• ELZA Institute (Zurich, Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Strategic research and education partnership with Prof. Farhad Hafezi's ELZA Institute. Prof. Hafezi serves as the first recipient of MESCA Foundation research funds and leads the Femto-CAIRS pilot project for keratoconus treatment. He has been invited speaker at Uzbek National Ophthalmological Society conferences for three consecutive years. The institute provides access to world-leading expertise in corneal cross-linking and refractive surgery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SEE International: Non-profit providing free cataract and other eye surgeries worldwide and training local ophthalmologists. Closely comparable as a charitable eye-care delivery and training organization operating in resource-limited settings.
• Orbis International: Global non-profit dedicated to preventing and treating avoidable blindness through training, partnerships, and direct service delivery. Far larger and broader than MESCA, but operates with a similar philanthropic + medical-education + capacity-building model in underserved regions.
• The Fred Hollows Foundation: Large international eye health foundation funding cataract and other blindness-prevention surgeries plus local training in developing countries. Comparable as a charitable eye-care funder with a strong training-and-infrastructure-building orientation similar to MESCA's NEI project.
• CureBlindness.org (Himalayan Cataract Project): Non-profit providing sight-restoring surgeries and training ophthalmologists in underserved regions. Comparable as a high-volume, training-focused eye care charity, though its clinical scope (cataract-heavy) is broader than MESCA's cornea focus.
• Aravind Eye Care System: Large hospital network in India providing high-volume, subsidized eye care including cornea and pediatric services, with embedded training and research. Comparable as an integrated clinical-training-research eye care delivery model, though operating as a hybrid social enterprise rather than a pure foundation.
• Sightsavers: International development organization working on avoidable blindness and disability inclusion across low- and middle-income countries. Comparable scale and mission overlap (eye care for underserved populations), but with a broader health-and-disability portfolio.
• L V Prasad Eye Institute: Leading Indian eye care institution combining clinical care, research, education, and rural outreach. Comparable mission mix (subsidized specialty eye care plus training and translational research), with much greater scale and a longer track record than MESCA.
• International Eye Foundation: US-based non-profit focused on blindness prevention and sustainable eye care capacity-building in underserved regions. Similar philanthropic-clinical-training model, with comparable emphasis on local infrastructure development.

Others

• ELZA Institute: Zurich-based ophthalmology research and clinical institute specializing in corneal disease, refractive surgery, and cross-linking. Listed as a partner rather than competitor, but operates in the same cornea/CXL clinical-research niche that MESCA's projects draw upon.

Direct peers

• Light for Sight Foundation: Swiss-based charitable foundation focused on keratoconus screening, diagnosis, and treatment for children including Down syndrome patients. MESCA is an active co-screening partner, making this the closest functional peer in scope, geography of origin, and target population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MESCA2021
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MESCAFOUNDATION
• Facebookfacebook.com/mesca2021
• Instagraminstagram.com/mesca_2021
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mescafoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MESCA Foundation