VANCOUVER—Kits Eyecare Ltd. (TSX: KITS), the vertically integrated, digital eyecare platform backed by the investor Roger Hardy, has been approved for immediate trading on the OTCQX Best Market, the top tier of the OTC Markets. Shares of the company were upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market, according to an announcement late last week. Kits Eyecare began trading Friday (May 7) on OTCQX under the symbol “KTYCF.” In its announcement, Kits Eyecare said “upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors.” (Kits Eyecare has been listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange since the beginning of this year.)

Kits completed a successful initial public offering in January, as VMAIL reported, and raised more than $40 million in the IPO process. Hardy, one of the co-founders, also was involved with the online eyewear brands Clearly.ca, Coastal.com and Lensway.se. The brands were acquired by Essilor in 2014.

For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S., the announcement noted. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

"Our continued success with executing on our strategic plan has led to increased interest in our stock,” chief financial officer Sabrina Liak said. “Upgrading to the OTCQX will increase the liquidity of our stock and enhance access for U.S. shareholders seeking to gain exposure to what we believe will become the leading vertically integrated, asset light model in eyecare.”

U.S. investors can find current financial disclosures for Kits on www.otcmarkets.com.