Docet

What Docet does

Docet is a UK-registered charity (No. 1060431) that operates an online learning management system delivering continuing professional development (CPD) education to optometrists registered with the General Optical Council (GOC) and practising in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Founded in 1989 and headquartered at 42 Craven Street, London, the organisation is managed by an optical representative body and provides free CPD courses through a Totara-based platform. Course delivery spans multiple formats: a monthly Sound Optometry podcast (hosted by Michelle Hanratty, 59+ episodes), video webinars, audio courses, non-interactive text-based modules, and serialised curricula covering glaucoma, immunology, headaches, AMD, cataract, paediatric eye care, acute presentation, safeguarding, and peer review. Content is developed with expert contributors from institutions including Moorfields Eye Hospital, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, and the University of Bradford.

The platform offers 42 video resources and 52 audio courses organised across clinical assessment, ocular disease and management, and professional matters categories. Courses allocate 1–6 CPD points upon successful quiz completion, with certificates issued before specified closing dates. Its products are structured to address the full GOC CPD requirement set, including specialist qualifications such as Independent Prescribing (IP) and re-entry training for practitioners returning to work after a career break.

Docet's business model is charitable rather than commercial: courses are offered at no cost to users, with no publicly disclosed pricing or revenue. The organisation does not appear to pursue product sales, subscriptions, or external funding rounds; instead it operates as a sustained provider within the UK optical sector, paid for through sector funding mechanisms and reserves. The sole disclosed external relationship is its GOC-approved provider status, which functions as a regulatory endorsement underpinning credibility with the optometric community. Geographic scope is intentionally limited — Scotland is excluded from the service area, and Northern Ireland access is described as partial.

Name

Docet

Legal name

Docet

Website

https://docet.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Docet is a UK registered charity operating a GOC-approved online learning platform that delivers free continuing professional development (CPD) courses, podcasts, and video content to optometrists in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optometric Continuing Education

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

Keywords

• Optometric education
• Continuing professional development
• E-learning platform
• Clinical training
• Healthcare education

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable CPD Education Services: Docet is a registered charity (No: 1060431) providing free and paid CPD courses to optometrists. Revenue model appears to be charitable/educational funding rather than commercial product sales. The organization is managed by an optical representative body and does not appear to charge for course access.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Docet is a GOC-approved e-learning platform that delivers continuing professional development (CPD) education to qualified optometrists in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It offers structured course series, a monthly podcast (Sound Optometry), webinars, and curated video and audio libraries covering clinical optometry topics, with CPD points awarded upon completion. The organization operates as a UK-registered charity and provides its educational content at no charge to users.

Product overview

Docet is a GOC-approved continuing professional development (CPD) provider operating as a Totara-based learning management system. The platform delivers optometric education through multiple formats: a monthly Sound Optometry podcast series, structured CPD courses with associated CPD points, video-based webinars, and audio libraries. Content is organized into clinical practice areas including the Glaucoma Series (8-part comprehensive programme), Immunology Series, Headaches Series (5-part), Acute Presentation Series, Young Eye Series, and Safeguarding Training. The platform also provides a Peer Review system for case studies. All courses are designed for GOC-registered optometrists practising in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, and offer CPD points upon successful completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sound Optometry: Docet's monthly podcast series hosted by Michelle Hanratty, featuring case studies and discussions on topics relevant to optometrists.

Products and services

• Docet LMS (Learning Management System)

Quantifiable outcome

• Optometrists earn 1-6 CPD points per course completion

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• General Optical Council (GOC)coreOthersDocet is a GOC approved provider for delivering CPD education to registered optometrists. This regulatory approval is fundamental to Docet's mission of providing recognized professional development for the UK optometric profession.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BMJ Learning: Established medical e-learning platform from BMJ delivering CPD/CME modules to clinicians globally. Comparable online CPD delivery model and accreditation approach, though primarily physician-focused rather than optometry-specific.
• Medscape Education: Large-scale free online medical education platform with accredited CE/CME across specialties. Comparable in delivering free, accredited CPD to practising clinicians, leveraging expert content and online distribution.
• College of Optometrists: UK professional body for optometrists that also develops CPD/CET content and offers professional development pathways. Overlaps Docet's content mission but operates as a membership/regulatory support body rather than a dedicated distance-learning charity.
• Association of Optometrists (AOP): UK professional membership body publishing Optometry Today (OT) with embedded CPD content. Comparable audience of practising optometrists and overlap in CET/CPD distribution, though content is bundled with a broader membership offering.
• Specsavers Professional Development: Largest UK optometry retailer with internal training and CPD programmes for its employed optometrists. Comparable in audience and learning content but vertically integrated into retail operations rather than a standalone distance-learning platform.

Direct peers

• Optometry Today (OT) CPD: AOP's flagship publication bundling peer-reviewed CET articles and online modules for UK optometrists. Directly competes with Docet for the same CPD-engagement moments and CET-points-earning audience.
• WOPEC (Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre): Cardiff University-run optometry CPD provider delivering structured postgraduate education to UK optometrists. Closest functional peer to Docet, offering accredited courses and CET points in the same regulatory context.

Others

• Topcon Healthcare University: Ophthalmic equipment vendor offering clinical and product training programmes to optometrists and eye-care professionals. Adjacent rather than direct: shares the optometry education audience but is incentivised by hardware sales.
• Bausch + Lomb Vision Care Institute: Global ophthalmic company's professional education arm providing optometry training and CET content. Comparable audience and clinical training remit but commercially anchored to product support rather than standalone CPD.

Emerging players

• Moorfields Education (Moorfields Eye Hospital): NHS teaching hospital offering postgraduate optometry and ophthalmology training, including expert content contributors. Adjacent in audience and clinical credibility; potential content collaborator or competitor in specialist optometry CPD.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/docet-optometric-distance-learning
• Xx.com/docetinfo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Docet