The Macula Society

What The Macula Society does

The Macula Society is a nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1977 by Dr. Lawrence J. Singerman and headquartered in Pepper Pike, Ohio, with a stated operational base of 1–10 employees. It provides an exclusive forum for the presentation, critique, and dissemination of research in retinal vascular and macular diseases. Membership is selective and application-based, requiring posterior segment fellowship training, post-fellowship practice, peer-reviewed publication requirements, and two active-member sponsors. The Society's product set centers on an annual scientific meeting (49th in 2026 at Hotel del Coronado, 50th Anniversary in Cannes in 2027), a tiered corporate sponsorship program with seven tiers from $3,000 (Topaz) to $120,000 (Emerald), a Macula Society Research Grant program (six grants in 2024 with Retina Research Foundation and International Retinal Research Foundation), an awards and lectures program conferring prestigious recognitions such as the Arnall Patz Medal and J. Donald Gass Medal, and career development through the Young Member Mentor Program.

The underlying technology platform is a WordPress-based public website integrated with a secure X-CD Technologies member portal that handles award nominations, abstract submissions, dues payments, and video archive access; the platform was relaunched in July 2025 with a mobile-friendly redesign. The Society distributes content through its website, email communications, video archives, international joint symposia with organizations including the Asia Pacific Vitreoretinal Society, and the Macula Society Educational Endowment Fund. Revenue is generated through annual membership dues, meeting registration fees tiered at $850 (Early Bird), $1,050 (Standard), and $1,250 (Late) for members, corporate sponsorships, and donations. The organization is governed by elected officers and active committees, with international membership having nearly doubled to 199 members in 2025 from over 100 in 2024.

Name

The Macula Society

Legal name

The Macula Society

Website

https://www.maculasociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Macula Society is a nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1977 that convenes retina specialists worldwide through selective membership, annual scientific meetings, research grants, and a prestigious awards program advancing research in retinal vascular and macular diseases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology professional society
• Retinal disease research
• Macular disease forum
• Medical society membership
• Scientific meeting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beachwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues are established by the Executive Committee based on calendar year. Emeritus and Senior members pay reduced rates (50% of annual dues). Members must be current on dues to register for meetings.
2. Annual Meeting Registration: Revenue generated from meeting registration fees at various pricing tiers: Early Bird $850, Standard $1,050, Late $1,250 for members. Non-member and guest registrations also generate revenue.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Seven tiers of corporate sponsorship ranging from Topaz Support at $3,000 to Emerald Support at $120,000. Additional à la carte promotional opportunities available. Includes benefits such as website listings, meeting app visibility, representative badges, and on-site branding.
4. Research Grant Funding: Partnership with Retina Research Foundation ($30,000 grant) and International Retinal Research Foundation (four $35,000 grants matched with Macula Society). The Macula Society Research Grant program funds clinically relevant research in macular or retinal vascular diseases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Macula Society is a membership-based professional medical society that provides a forum for new research in retinal vascular and macular diseases. Its core offerings include annual scientific meetings, a research grant program, an awards and lectures program, and member services that are accessible through a secure portal and in-person convenings. The Society is selective in membership, governed by member-elected officers, and supported by corporate sponsorships and an Educational Endowment Fund.

Product overview

The Macula Society is a professional medical society founded in 1977 that serves as a forum for new research in retinal vascular and macular diseases. The Society operates as a membership-based organization offering multiple interconnected programs and services: Annual Scientific Meetings that bring together retina specialists worldwide; the Macula Society Research Grant (MSRG) Program that provides funding for clinically relevant research in macular or retinal vascular diseases; an Awards and Lectures Program recognizing outstanding achievement through medals such as the Arnall Patz Medal, J. Donald Gass Medal, and others; Membership Services providing secure access to member functions; specialized programs including the Diabetes Research Study Group and Young Member Mentor Program; International Committee Programs fostering collaboration between US and international members; and the Macula Society Educational Endowment supporting educational initiatives. The Society launched a newly redesigned website in July 2025 built on WordPress with member portal functionality powered by X-CD Technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Scientific Meeting The Macula Society holds annual scientific meetings open to members, their guests, co-authors, and supporting company representatives. These meetings feature scientific presentations, awards ceremonies, and networking opportunities for retina specialists worldwide.
• Macula Society Research Grant (MSRG) Program Research grant program providing funding for clinically relevant research in macular or retinal vascular diseases. The program funds pilot projects with potential for additional external funding, typically awarding six grants annually including partnerships with the Retina Research Foundation and International Retinal Research Foundation.
• Awards and Lectures Program The Society recognizes outstanding achievement by members and others through various awards and lectures presented at annual meetings, including the Arnall Patz Medal, J. Donald Gass Medal, Paul Henkind Memorial Lecture, W. Richard Green Lecture, Lawrence J. Singerman Medal, Young Investigator Award, Michaelson Macula Society Award, Evangelos S. Gragoudas Award, and International Travel Grant.
• Membership Services Membership in the Macula Society is by application with rigorous acceptance criteria including extensive contribution to retinal literature. The Society offers member-only access to functions including award nominations, abstract submissions, dues payments, and video archives through a secure portal developed in partnership with X-CD Technologies.
• Diabetes Research Study Group A specialized study group focused on diabetic retinal disease research, partnering with organizations such as the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative to advance understanding of Diabetic Retinal Disease (DRD) through educational programs and symposia.
• Young Member Mentor Program Program designed to engage younger members of the Society through mentorship lectures and symposia at annual meetings, featuring keynote speakers and panel discussions on topics related to career development, leadership, and academic ophthalmology.
• International Committee Programs Committee promoting collaboration, networking and exchange between US and international members of the Society. Supports international retinal specialists joining the Society and facilitates joint international retinal conferences and symposiums.
• Macula Society Educational Endowment An endowment fund that provides a revenue stream to fund various educational initiatives in perpetuity, independent of year-to-year fluctuations in corporate support and other society income sources.
• 2026 Diabetes Day Symposium An invitation-only educational program on Diabetic Retinal Disease focused on Retinal Ischemia and Functional Relationships in DRD, presented in partnership with the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative and supported by Boehringer Ingelheim and Topcon.

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Mary Tyler Moore Vision InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Partnership for the 2026 Diabetes Day Symposium titled 'Retinal Ischemia and Functional Relationships in DRD: Disentangling Ischemia and Neurodegeneration'. The Macula Society Diabetes Research Study Group works with the initiative to advance understanding of Diabetic Retinal Disease (DRD).
• Boehringer IngelheimsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 January 2026Generous supporter of the 2026 Diabetes Day Symposium educational program focused on Diabetic Retinal Disease. Support enables the Macula Society Diabetes Research Study Group to present the educational program.
• TopconsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 January 2026Corporate supporter of the 2026 Diabetes Day Symposium. Partnership advances research and education in retinal disease.
• X-CD TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 9 July 2025Technology partner for secure members-only integration enabling award nominations, abstract submissions, and dues payments. Developed secure portal infrastructure for the newly redesigned WordPress-based website.
• Asia Pacific Vitreoretinal Society (APVRS)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025Joint symposium on Dry AMD during APVRS annual congress in Singapore. Chairs included Dr. Lihteh Wu, Dr. Michael Singer, Dr. Kelvin Teo with speakers covering diagnostics, therapeutic considerations, and upcoming therapies.
• LMU MunichminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2024Research collaboration for multi-national interview study on artificial intelligence in ophthalmology. Looking for ophthalmology professionals from North America for online qualitative study on AI in clinical practice.
• Retina Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership supporting the Mills and Margaret Cox Macula Society Research Project with one $30,000 grant annually for clinically relevant research in macular or retinal vascular diseases.
• International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership providing four $35,000 Research Grants through matched funding. Inaugural year collaboration supporting pilot projects in macular or retinal vascular disease research with potential for additional external funding.
• DRCR Retina NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 July 2023Collaborative network planning Phase III clinical trial to prevent visual acuity loss due to radiation retinopathy. Interested physicians can contact [email protected] to join.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Retina Society: The most direct peer: a US-based professional society for vitreoretinal specialists founded in 1968 that holds an annual scientific meeting, accepts members by application, and recognizes achievement through named awards. Highly comparable mission and operating model to the Macula Society.
• American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS): Large US-based medical society for retina specialists that holds an annual meeting, runs practice management and coding workshops, and offers educational programming. Comparable target membership (retina specialists) and event-driven revenue model, though broader in scope than the Macula Society.
• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO): Global eye and vision research organization that holds a large annual scientific meeting, offers member awards and travel grants, and engages academic and clinician-scientist members. Comparable as a research-focused vision society, though broader in ophthalmology scope.

Regional players

• European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA): Europe's primary retina specialist society, hosting an annual congress and educational programming for vitreoretinal specialists. Comparable membership base and conference model, but serves a primarily European membership that overlaps with the Macula Society's growing international roster.
• Asia Pacific Vitreoretinal Society (APVRS): Pan-Asia vitreoretinal society that co-hosts joint symposia with the Macula Society on topics like Dry AMD. Operates a similar annual congress model in the Asia-Pacific region and shares overlapping member profiles with the Macula Society's international members.
• Club Jules Gonin: European-based ophthalmologic society focused on retinal and vitreoretinal diseases that holds a biennial international meeting with selective membership. Comparable academic stature and selectivity profile, but primarily European in reach and meeting cadence.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): The largest US ophthalmology professional society with a much broader scope than the Macula Society. Macula Society award lectures are explicitly presented at the AAO annual meeting, making AAO the relevant incumbent convener where Macula Society members already engage.
• American Ophthalmological Society (AOS): One of the oldest US ophthalmic societies with highly selective membership and an annual scientific meeting. Comparable exclusivity and prestige positioning, though its clinical scope is broader than the Macula Society's macular/retinal focus.

Emerging players

• International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV): International scientific society with an annual meeting and selective membership focused on clinical vision electrophysiology. Smaller and more specialized than the Macula Society, but a comparable model of a globally distributed, researcher-led professional society.

Others

• Retina Research Foundation: Strategic grantmaking partner of the Macula Society that funds the Mills and Margaret Cox Macula Society Research Project. Operates as an adjacent enabler in the retinal research ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macula-society-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Macula Society