Augenklinik Sulzbach

What Augenklinik Sulzbach does

Augenklinik Sulzbach is a specialized ophthalmology hospital located in Sulzbach, Saarland, Germany, operating as a department of the public Knappschaftsklinikum Saar hospital network. Founded in 1920, it ranks among Germany's five largest eye clinics and serves approximately 50,000 ambulant and over 6,000 inpatient cases annually, performing roughly 24,000 eye operations per year across seven modern operating rooms. Roughly 40% of patients travel from outside Saarland (Eifel, Rheintal, Schwarzwald, Schwaben, Bodensee, Luxembourg, France), with 4% coming from abroad as international patients, supported by a dedicated international patient service.

The clinic offers comprehensive ophthalmic services across all major subspecialties — cataract surgery, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal surgery, corneal transplantation, pediatric ophthalmology, strabismus, eyelid and orbital surgery, uveitis, refractive surgery, and aesthetic medicine. Its core proprietary technology centers on the DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty) platform: the Sulzbacher DMEK cartridge microinjection system (2011), the Liquid Bubble tissue preparation technique (2014), and the DMEK RAPID preloaded transplantation system (PEI-approved 2021) co-developed with Geuder AG and DGFG. The clinic is Germany's largest vitreoretinal surgery center since 2015 (>2,200 vitrectomies annually), performed Germany's first bionic retinal chip implantation in 2021, operates the CE-certified Eyemate-SC suprachoroidal pressure sensor, and participates in BMBF-funded consortia including FLEXIRET (flexible wide-angle retina implant) and MORPHEUS-ADAPI.

The business model is regulated professional services revenue under German statutory (GKV) and private (PKV) health insurance fee schedules, with a referral-driven go-to-market through partner physicians via the Zuweiserportal. Revenue is supplemented by international patient services, the Augenlaserklinik Saar refractive surgery subsidiary (founded 2011), royalties and co-development income from licensed proprietary devices, and the Sulzbacher Ophthalmologischer Dialog medical education series (7–8 events per year). The clinic operates through multiple subsidiaries including the KHERI research institute (2018), Knappschafts-Gewebebank tissue bank (one of only two PEI-approved pre-cut LaMEK tissue banks in Germany), International Clinical Trial Center (2013), VISYOnet quality network (2016), and Makulazentrum Saar. Research collaborations span Pixium Vision, Geuder AG, Implandata, DGFG, Fraunhofer IBMT, RIKEN Japan, Mount Sinai, Singapore Eye Research Institute, and the University of Tübingen.

Name

Augenklinik Sulzbach

Legal name

Augenklinik Sulzbach

Website

https://augenklinik-sulzbach.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Augenklinik Sulzbach is one of Germany's five largest ophthalmology hospitals, performing 24,000+ eye surgeries annually across all subspecialties with proprietary DMEK transplantation technology, bionic retinal implants, and Germany's largest vitreoretinal surgery center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231), Offices of Optometrists (621320), Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers (621493)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO), Oculoplastics & Orbital Surgery (HLAKAKAI), Vitreoretinal Surgical Devices (Vitrectomy Systems, Endolaser, Illumination, Tamponades) (HLAHAJAJ)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Eye surgery
• Corneal transplantation
• Retinal surgery
• Refractive surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

Sulzbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Medical Services Revenue: Provision of ophthalmological medical services covered by statutory and private health insurance. Services include outpatient consultations, inpatient treatments, and surgical procedures across all eye conditions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Augenklinik Sulzbach is a specialized eye hospital delivering comprehensive ophthalmic medical services across the full disease spectrum, including cataract, glaucoma, retinal, corneal, macular, pediatric, refractive, and aesthetic eye treatments. It operates seven modern operating rooms, an in-house cleanroom tissue bank for lamellar corneal transplants (DMEK/LaMEK), and the KHERI research institute, and is the largest retinal surgery center in Germany with 2,200+ vitreoretinal procedures and 11,000 AMD treatments per year.

Product overview

Augenklinik Sulzbach is a specialized eye hospital offering comprehensive ophthalmic services across multiple subspecialties. The clinic operates as a single unified medical facility with specialized treatment centers for retinal surgery (largest in Germany), corneal transplantation (DMEK pioneer), macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, refractive surgery, pediatric ophthalmology, and aesthetic medicine. Key proprietary products include the DMEK RAPID preloaded transplantation system, the Sulzbacher DMEK-Kartusche microinjection system, the Knappschafts-Gewebebank tissue bank, bionic retinal implants, and the Eyemate-SC intraocular pressure sensor. The clinic also houses the KHERI Research Institute for ophthalmic research and a certified clinical trials center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Augenlaserklinik Saar: Laser eye surgery clinic offering LASIK and lens implant procedures for vision correction without glasses.
• KHERI (Klaus Heimann Eye Research Institute)
• Knappschafts-Gewebebank Sulzbach
• VISYOnet Qualitätsnetzwerk
• Makulazentrum Saar
• Netzhautzentrum
• Hornhautzentrum
• Sulzbacher Ophthalmologischer Dialog (SOD)

Products and services

• Cataract Surgery (Grauer Star) Treatment of clouding of the eye's natural lens via cataract surgery, including laser-assisted surgery using femtosecond laser technology; offered to patients with cataracts.
• Glaucoma Surgery (Grüner Star) Micro-invasive glaucoma surgery using stents, laser, and microcatheter-based canaloplasty for intraocular pressure reduction; offered to patients with glaucoma.
• Macular Degeneration (AMD) Treatment Comprehensive treatment for age-related macular degeneration including IVOM injections and new surgical methods; delivered through the Makulazentrum Saar for patients with AMD.
• Retinal Surgery (Pars Plana Vitrectomy) Vitreoretinal surgery including pars plana vitrectomy for retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, and macular conditions; the clinic is the largest retinal surgery center in Germany.
• Corneal Transplantation (DMEK) Modern lamellar corneal transplantation including DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty) for partial-thickness transplants with faster recovery and lower rejection rates.
• SING IMT Eye Implant (Samsara Vision) Bionic eye implant from Samsara Vision for patients with severe vision impairment or blindness from macular degeneration.
• Refractive Surgery (Augenlaserklinik Saar) Refractive surgery center offering 3D LASIK with femtosecond laser technology for vision correction without glasses, including treatment for presbyopia.
• DMEK RAPID Preloaded System Ready-to-use preloaded DMEK transplantation system developed at KHERI Research Institute in cooperation with Geuder AG and DGFG, allowing direct injection of pre-prepared corneal lamellae.
• Sulzbacher DMEK Cartridge (Microinjection System) World's first touchless DMEK microinjection system for corneal transplantation; the patented glass cartridge system enables gentle implantation of corneal lamellae without touching sensitive pump cells.
• Knappschafts-Gewebebank Sulzbach (Tissue Bank) State-of-the-art cleanroom tissue bank specializing in modern lamellar corneal transplants; one of only two tissue banks in Germany with PEI approval for pre-cut LaMEK.
• Bionic Retinal Prostheses (Netzhautchip) Bionic retinal implants including IRIS II and PRIMA systems for patients with severe visual impairment or blindness from macular degeneration; the clinic has been implanting these devices since 2021.
• Eyemate-SC Suprachoroidal Pressure Sensor Suprachoroidal microchip implant (1.6 mm) for wireless telemetric intraocular pressure self-measurement for glaucoma patients; CE certified for clinical use.
• Stem Cell Therapy (Cornea) Stem cell transplantation for severe corneal diseases including limbal stem cell transplantation for limbal stem cell insufficiency.
• Pediatric Ophthalmology Specialist Clinic (Kinder-Spezialsprechstunde) Pediatric ophthalmology specialist clinic treating childhood cataracts, childhood glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and other pediatric eye conditions.
• Orthoptics / Strabismus Treatment (Sehschule) Orthoptics department for treatment of strabismus and eye movement disorders, including therapy for congenital amblyopia.
• Eyelid and Orbital Surgery Eyelid and orbital surgery including reconstructive trauma surgery, artificial iris implantation, and aesthetic procedures.
• Uveitis Treatment Specialized treatment for uveitis including interdisciplinary pediatric rheumatology uveitis clinic.
• Aesthetic Medicine Aesthetic medicine services including botulinum toxin treatment, filler injections, thread lifts, and vampire lifts.
• KHERI Research Institute Klaus Heimann Eye Research Institute conducting research in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, microchip-based visual prostheses, and new transplantation techniques.
• International Clinical Trials Center Sulzbach Certified clinical trials center conducting international phase I-IV clinical studies according to AMG and MPG regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Visual acuity improvement from 5% to 80% within one week after DMEK
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Geuder AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing development partnership for ophthalmic medical devices. Co-developed the Sulzbacher DMEK cartridge system (world's first touchless DMEK injector), DMEK RAPID preloaded system, and surgical instruments. Geuder distributes the proprietary transplantation systems worldwide.
• DGFG (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gewebetransplantation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner in tissue transplantation network. Co-developed Preloaded DMEK RAPID system and operates the Knappschafts-Gewebebank Sulzbach as an official DGFG partner tissue bank. One of only two tissue banks in Germany with PEI approval for pre-cut lamellae.
• Pixium VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for bionic retinal prosthesis implantation (PRIMAvera study). Dr. Ralf Hornig, CEO of Pixium Vision, collaborates with Prof. Szurman on first German implantation of bionic chip for macular degeneration patients since autumn 2021.
• Fraunhofer IBMT (Institut für Biomedizinische Technik)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMBF-funded consortium partner in multiple projects: FLEXIRET (wide-field retina implant development), iPS stem cell therapy project, MORPHEUS-ADAPI AI project, and silica-hydrogel copolymer development for intravitreal tamponade.
• PREMA SemiconductorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FLEXIRET consortium for developing flexible printed electronics on graphene-based wireless wide-angle retina implant for completely blind patients.
• Implandata Ophthalmic Products (Hannover)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development of suprachoroidal pressure sensor (Eyemate-SC) for telemetric intraocular pressure self-measurement. Prof. Szurman led the European approval study EYEMATE-SC completed in 2021.
• RIKEN Institute (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch cooperation with Prof. Takahashi at RIKEN for subretinal application of autologous iPS-derived RPE cells for treatment of geographic atrophy.
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration for retinal cell transplantation study. Successfully transplanted retinal cells derived from human stem cells with survival demonstrated in primate model.
• A*STAR / Singapore Eye Research Institute / National University of SingaporeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partnership with Institute of Molecular Cell Biology for stem cell-derived retinal cell transplantation research.
• University of TübingenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership where Prof. Szurman served as leading senior physician. Ongoing collaboration in stem cell therapy research and retinal electrode development.
• VISYOnet Qualitätsnetzwerk SaarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality network founded by Augenklinik Sulzbach in 2016 for quality assurance in ophthalmology, including Saarländisches Katarakt-Register.
• Pro Retina e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with largest German self-help organization for visually impaired. Pro Retina provides consultation services at the clinic by experts who are themselves visually impaired, starting September 2023.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wills Eye Hospital: US specialty eye hospital in Philadelphia with similar full-spectrum ophthalmology services, residency/fellowship training programs, and high surgical volume across retina, cornea, and glaucoma.
• Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: London-based specialist eye hospital, internationally recognized for high surgical volumes across all ophthalmology subspecialties and a comparable research/translational footprint (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology).
• Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg: One of Germany's leading university eye hospitals, with high surgical volumes across retina, cornea, and glaucoma, comparable research intensity, and a national/international referral base similar to Augenklinik Sulzbach.
• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: Consistently top-ranked US eye institute with analogous research-driven specialty practice, large surgical volumes, and leadership in retinal and corneal innovation.
• Universitäts-Augenklinik Tübingen: University eye hospital in Tübingen where Prof. Szurman previously served as senior physician. Comparable as a full-spectrum academic ophthalmology center with deep research output and tertiary referral flows in Germany.
• Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augenklinik: Large German academic eye department with comparable tertiary case mix (retina, cornea, glaucoma, uveitis), high publication output, and clinical trial infrastructure.
• Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn: German university eye clinic where PD Dr. Stanzel trained and conducted stem cell/vitreoretinal research; directly comparable in sub-specialty mix and academic-clinical integration.

Emerging players

• Retina Implant AG: German developer of subretinal electronic retinal implants with which Augenklinik Sulzbach has co-invented patents on compound subretinal prostheses; comparable focus on artificial vision for blind patients.
• Pixium Vision: Developer of the PRIMA bionic retinal prosthesis; a strategic co-development partner of Augenklinik Sulzbach for first-in-Germany bionic chip implantations since 2021, with overlapping retinal implant focus.
• Implandata Ophthalmic Products: Hannover-based partner co-developing the Eyemate-SC suprachoroidal pressure sensor with Prof. Szurman's group; comparable niche in implantable ophthalmic devices for glaucoma management.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxqbtZ2IP0jGtE7ehuqBogw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/augenklinik-sulzbach

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Augenklinik Sulzbach