Utah Lions Eye Bank

What Utah Lions Eye Bank does

Utah Lions Eye Bank (ULEB) is a nonprofit eye bank founded in 1972 and headquartered in Murray, Utah, operating as a structural extension of the John A. Moran Eye Center within the University of Utah Health system. The organization provides a full suite of cornea and eye donation services on a 24/7 basis, including donor family liaison, tissue recovery, processing, evaluation, and distribution for transplantation and medical research. Its primary customers are ophthalmic surgeons performing cornea transplant surgeries, medical researchers advancing eye care, and — on the upstream supply side — donor families making decisions about eye and cornea donation from deceased loved ones. The organization is accredited by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) and is a member of Vision Share, Donate Life, and Lions International.

ULEB's core technology revolves around clinical tissue handling and quality assessment rather than software platforms. The organization recently deployed an advanced OCT (optical coherence tomography) imaging system, funded by a $63,000+ donation from the Utah Lions Foundation, which enables comprehensive pre-processing scans of the entire cornea to support tissue quality decisions. Day-to-day operations rely on skilled technical staff working around the clock, dedicated distribution and family services contact channels, and integration with regional hospitals, donor registries, and other eye banks.

The business model combines a professional services revenue stream — tissue processing and distribution fees charged to surgeons and research institutions under negotiated healthcare contracts — with charitable contributions and foundation grants that support capital investments and operational shortfalls. Tissue requests are handled through a direct distribution workflow ([email protected]), and financial contributions are solicited via the University of Utah giving platform. The organization is governed as a nonprofit with no disclosed revenue, no outside equity, and no independent ownership; it is operationally embedded within the University of Utah Health academic medical center structure.

Name

Utah Lions Eye Bank

Legal name

Utah Lions Eye Bank

Website

https://utaheyebank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Utah Lions Eye Bank is a nonprofit eye bank founded in 1972, operating as an extension of the John A. Moran Eye Center at University of Utah Health to provide 24/7 cornea and eye tissue recovery, evaluation, processing, and distribution to ophthalmic surgeons and researchers across the Mountain West.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye Bank / Ophthalmic Tissue Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers (423460)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN)

Keywords

• Cornea donation services
• Eye tissue procurement
• Corneal transplantation
• Eye bank services
• Ocular tissue processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Murray

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cornea and Eye Tissue Services: As a nonprofit eye bank, the organization provides cornea and eye tissue to surgeons for transplantation surgeries and to researchers for eye care research. Revenue is generated through tissue processing and distribution services, supplemented by charitable donations and foundation support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Utah Lions Eye Bank is a full-service nonprofit eye bank that recovers, processes, evaluates, and distributes human cornea and eye tissue for transplantation surgeries and research. Donation specialists serve donor families to support informed donation decisions, and technical staff work around the clock to ensure every donation is safe and of the highest quality. Tissue is provided to surgeons for cornea transplantation and to researchers advancing eye care research, with the organization partnering with other regional eye banks and hospitals.

Product overview

Utah Lions Eye Bank operates as a single unified service offering—a full-service nonprofit eye bank facilitating cornea and eye donation since 1972. The organization provides donation services to surgeons for cornea transplantation surgeries and researchers to advance eye care research. Services include donor family support, tissue processing, and distribution of corneal tissue for transplantation. The organization recently acquired an advanced OCT imaging system to enhance tissue evaluation quality and precision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cornea & Eye Donation Services
• Surgical & Tissue Services for Surgeons
• Family Services for Donor Families
• Research Tissue Services

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA)coreOthersULEB is an accredited member of the Eye Bank Association of America, indicating compliance with rigorous national standards for eye banking operations and quality assurance.
• Vision SharecoreOthersProud member of Vision Share, a network that facilitates collaboration and tissue sharing among eye banks.
• Lions InternationalcoreOthersProud member of Lions International, reflecting the organization's roots in Lions Club sight-saving initiatives.
• DonorConnect FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerULEB served as a sponsor of the 2026 Heart of the West gala hosted by DonorConnect Foundation, an organ and tissue donation advocacy organization.
• Donate LifecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Donate Life for donor registration and public awareness campaigns about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
• John A. Moran Eye Center / University of Utah HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerULEB is an extension of the John A. Moran Eye Center within the University of Utah Health system, providing access to academic medical center resources, research capabilities, and clinical expertise.
• Regional Eye Banks and HospitalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with other eye banks and hospitals throughout the region for tissue sharing and collaborative services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Saving Sight: Saving Sight is a nonprofit eye bank headquartered in Missouri that recovers, processes, and distributes corneal tissue for transplant and research. Like ULEB, it operates 24/7 and serves surgeons and researchers across a multi-state region.
• San Diego Eye Bank: San Diego Eye Bank is an EBAA-accredited nonprofit eye bank providing corneal tissue for transplantation and research. It is a regional nonprofit peer with a similar full-service operating model and customer base.
• Iowa Lions Eye Bank: Iowa Lions Eye Bank is a Lions-affiliated nonprofit eye bank that recovers, processes, and distributes corneal tissue. It mirrors ULEB's Lions heritage, nonprofit status, and service mix.
• Eversight: Eversight is one of the largest nonprofit eye bank networks in the U.S., providing corneal tissue recovery, processing, and distribution for transplant and research. It directly competes with ULEB for surgeon and research customer accounts through a multi-state network.

Others

• DonorConnect: DonorConnect is a Utah-based organ and tissue procurement organization that partners with ULEB on donor referrals and community events. It is an ecosystem partner providing upstream donor pipeline.
• Donate Life America: Donate Life America is a national donor registration and awareness organization that ULEB partners with to drive donor signups. It is an enabling ecosystem participant that indirectly supports ULEB's tissue supply.

Broad incumbents

• CorneaGen: CorneaGen is a leading U.S. provider of corneal tissue and ophthalmic surgical solutions, with national distribution and a broader product portfolio. It competes with ULEB for surgeon accounts at a larger scale.
• Mid-America Transplant: Mid-America Transplant is a multi-organ and tissue procurement organization that includes eye tissue recovery. It is a broader incumbent operating in overlapping donor procurement and tissue distribution workflows.

Regional players

• Lions Eye Bank of Long Island / Lions Eye Bank Delaware Valley: Lions Eye Bank organizations across the U.S. operate nonprofit eye banks with the same mission and EBAA-aligned standards as ULEB. They serve as regional comparables for tissue supply, donor engagement, and Lions-affiliated funding.
• Heartland Lions Eye Bank: Heartland Lions Eye Bank is a Lions-affiliated nonprofit eye bank serving a different region than ULEB. It shares the Lions heritage, EBAA accreditation, and nonprofit tissue distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utah-lions-eye-bank

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Utah Lions Eye Bank