American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery

What American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery does

The American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS) is a US-based nonprofit professional medical society founded in 2011 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The society serves anterior segment ophthalmic surgeons, ophthalmic industry executives, select venture capitalists, and technology entrepreneurs through a deliberately compact, single-track meeting format designed to encourage candid interaction absent the distraction of parallel educational tracks. Its core offerings are three annual destination symposia: a Winter Symposium in Aspen, Colorado; a Summer Symposium in Deer Valley, Utah; and a European Summer Symposium that has rotated through the UK, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy, including a scheduled 2027 edition in Antwerp. AECOS also operates a recurring clinical research program, including the world's largest Phase 3 corneal collagen cross-linking trial across 83 US sites (sponsored using Avedro's riboflavin and KXL system) and additional multi-site studies on refractive practice patterns and presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses. Supplementary products include a quarterly member newsletter, an Awards program comprising the Dulaney, Deer Valley Visionary, and Joseph Colin awards, and participation in the FDA/CDRH Network of Experts and the EyeSustain Global Initiative. AECOS is governed by parallel American and European Executive Committees under Executive Director Trudy Larkins.

Name

American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery

Legal name

American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery

Website

https://aecosurgery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS) is a nonprofit professional medical society serving anterior segment ophthalmic surgeons, industry executives, and venture investors through three annual destination symposia, sponsored clinical research, and an awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Medical Education

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Central Laboratory & Clinical Trial Testing CROs (HLAGAAAE)

Keywords

• Ophthalmic surgery education
• Professional medical society
• Clinical research
• Continuing medical education
• Ophthalmology conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues required for physicians and industry members to maintain good standing with access to reduced registration rates and member benefits.
2. Meeting Registration Fees: Revenue from registration fees for AECOS meetings. Members receive reduced rates while non-members pay standard fees. Commercial industry representatives pay $6,000 per badge in absence of corporate sponsorship.
3. Sponsorship Programs: Companies support AECOS meetings and educational programs through tiered sponsorship packages. Commercial Industry Members are required to secure sponsorships. Sponsorship programs are tailored to meet the needs and budget of each supporting company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AECOS is a nonprofit professional medical society that organizes three annual symposia (Winter Symposium in Aspen, Summer Symposium in Deer Valley, and European Summer Symposium at rotating European locations) for anterior segment surgeons and industry partners. The society conducts multi-site clinical research studies among member practices, offers membership programs with reduced meeting registration rates, advocacy participation, clinical study access, and peer-to-peer collaboration opportunities across the United States and Europe.

Product overview

AECOS is a professional medical society, not a technology product company. It operates as a membership-based organization offering educational conferences (Summer, Winter, and Europe Symposia), clinical research initiatives, awards programs, and member communications. The portfolio consists of in-person and virtual meetings, published clinical studies, advocacy programs, and member newsletters focused on advancing ophthalmic surgery practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AECOS Membership Annual membership program for physicians and industry members providing reduced registration rates for all meetings, opportunities to participate in political advocacy, clinical studies, charitable initiatives, and peer-to-peer collaboration with leading vision care professionals and industry innovators.
• AECOS Annual Symposia Three major annual meetings: Winter Symposium (Aspen, Colorado), Summer Symposium (Deer Valley, Utah), and European Summer Symposium (rotating European locations). These symposia bring together leading anterior segment surgeons, ophthalmic industry executives, select venture capitalists, and technology entrepreneurs for educational sessions, clinical study presentations, and interactive discussions on ophthalmic surgery innovations.
• AECOS Clinical Research Studies Industry-sponsored clinical research studies conducted among AECOS member practices, including the largest corneal cross-linking clinical trial in the world (83 sites) and studies on presbyopia-correcting IOLs and refractive surgery patterns. Studies evaluate safety, efficacy, and clinical outcomes of new ophthalmic techniques and devices.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• EyeSustain Global InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024AECOS participates as a valuable partner in the EyeSustain Global Initiative, a global coalition of eye societies, organizations and ophthalmologists focused on promoting sustainable eye care practices.
• FDA/CDRH Network of ExpertsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAECOS is honored to participate in the FDA/CDRH Network of Experts, a rapidly accessible virtual network of scientific experts for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. This collaboration enables an efficient exchange of knowledge to streamline resolution of issues and evaluation of complex medical devices, accelerating the availability of safe and innovative medical products.
• Refractive Surgery CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAECOS is a member of the Refractive Surgery Council, an organization that harnesses the country's leading clinical and technology expertise and develops educational and informative programs and content for consumers considering their vision correction options.
• Challenge AspenminorOthersAECOS is very proud to be a sponsor of Challenge Aspen, an organization dedicated to 'Making Possibilities for People with Disabilities.' Challenge Aspen provides recreational, educational and cultural opportunities for those challenged with physical and mental disabilities, serving more than 400 participants each year.
• AvedromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAECOS sponsored a leading accelerated cross-linking study utilizing Avedro's riboflavin and KXL system for accelerated cross-linking. The study exclusively utilized Avedro's technology for the Phase 3 clinical trial.
• International Council of OphthalmologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ICO helps ophthalmologists enhance their skills and clinical knowledge to provide high-quality eye care worldwide. The Council advocates for decision makers to increase resources for eye care and collaborates with organizations to advance eye health.
• 83 Clinical Sites (AECOS Corneal Cross-Linking Trial)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner83 clinical sites across the United States participated in AECOS sponsored corneal cross-linking clinical trial, representing the largest body of corneal cross-linking data in the world.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (EyeCare America): EyeCare America is a public-service foundation under AAO providing charitable vision care. It is adjacent to AECOS's Challenge Aspen charitable initiatives and reflects the broader philanthropic ecosystem AECOS participates in.
• PentaVision / Bryn Mawr Communications: PentaVision is a leading ophthalmology-focused publisher producing trade journals and continuing education content. It operates as an enabling ecosystem partner, providing member-facing content distribution channels similar to AECOS's quarterly newsletters.

Emerging players

• Ophthalmic Innovation Summit (OIS): OIS is a curated industry-investor-clinical KOL summit held alongside major ophthalmology meetings. It overlaps AECOS's entrepreneur, VC, and industry executive engagement motion and is a partial substitute for AECOS's smaller, more curated gatherings.
• Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society (OOSS): OOSS is a US society focused on ambulatory surgery centers delivering ophthalmic surgery. It overlaps AECOS's clinical operations focus on a smaller scale and competes for ASC-focused industry partnerships and educational programming budgets.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): AAO is the largest US ophthalmology professional association, covering all subspecialties with the annual AAO meeting as the industry's flagship event. It overlaps AECOS's advocacy and education missions but at vastly greater scale and broader subspecialty reach.

Direct peers

• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO): ARVO is the premier global scientific research society in vision and ophthalmology, convening researchers and clinicians at its annual meeting. AECOS competes for research-focused members and for industry-sponsored clinical research collaborations.
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS): ASCRS is the largest US professional society for cataract and refractive surgeons, offering annual meetings, clinical education, and advocacy. It directly overlaps AECOS's anterior-segment surgeon membership and competes for the same industry sponsorship dollars.
• European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS): ESCRS is the leading European counterpart to ASCRS, convening refractive and cataract surgeons at annual congresses across Europe. AECOS competes with ESCRS for European member engagement and for industry sponsors targeting the transatlantic ophthalmic market.
• International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS): ISRS is a refractive-surgery-focused international society operating within AAO. It competes directly with AECOS for refractive surgeon membership and for industry sponsorship tied to refractive and presbyopia-correcting IOL product launches.

Regional players

• Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (DOG): DOG is the leading German-language professional society for ophthalmology, hosting the DOC congress. It serves a regional European base that overlaps with AECOS's European Summer Symposium audience and competes for German and Central European industry sponsorship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AECOSurgery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery