CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—PlenOptika, Inc., creator of the QuickSee handheld autorefractor, was recognized with an Eddie Award from Mass Innovation Network. Previous winners of this prestigious award include Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Staples, Genzyme, MassChallenge, Carbonite, KRONOS, ZipCar, iRobot, Keurig, and Vistaprint. “PlenOptika is grateful for the recognition of our technology and its value to people in the U.S. and around the globe,” said Shivang Dave, PhD, CEO and co-founder of PlenOptika, following the announcement at a special event in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

“We are humbled to be among an elite cohort of companies that have had such profound impact on the world, and the other start-ups in this edition who also have bold plans for the future,” Dave said.

Previously known as the New England Innovation Awards, they were rebranded as the Eddie Awards in a nod to Thomas Edison and his prolific work (and 1,093 innovation patents) in a variety of industries. Any business headquartered in New England that has a revolutionary product, technology, or process may be nominated for the Eddie Award.



PlenOptika’s QuickSee handheld autorefractor.
Earlier this year, PlenOptika was one of five “most promising” deep tech start-up companies recognized by the Mass Ventures START, which helps deep tech start-ups convert their Small Business Innovation and Small Business Technology Transfer research (SBIR/STTR) into businesses.

QuickSee is an essential tool to address the challenge of uncorrected refractive error, a matter of major global concern, including wealthy nations. Poor vision tremendously impacts quality of life, education, and workforce opportunities. A report published by The Lancet in February 2021 estimated that over one billion people worldwide had distance-or near-vision impairment, resulting in at least $410 billion in productivity loss annually.

PlenOptika designs and produces tools for vision professionals. NGOs and vision professionals have used QuickSee on over three million patients in more than 45 countries to transform their lives with clear vision, according to PlenOptika.