Making Vision Care More Accessible
EyeCareX is tackling one of eye care’s biggest bottlenecks—limited access to optometrists—by automating core parts of the eye exam.
60% of optometrists in North America are already at capacity, leaving millions without timely eye care. That delay contributes to half the population skipping routine exams, accelerating avoidable vision loss and blindness.
EyeCareX has developed a cloud-native, AI-powered SaaS platform that streamlines clinical workflows for optometrists. Features include:
- Automated ocular testing
- Smartphone-based diagnostic imaging
- AI and LLM-powered documentation tools
- Full HIPAA and PIPEDA compliance
By blending AI, computer vision, and automation, EyeCareX shortens exam time, boosts clinical efficiency, and expands access to eye care—modernizing vision health for the millions currently falling through the cracks.
Eyes on the Prize
What they’ve done: In less than a year, EyeCareX has launched in 10 optometry clinics across Canada, secured Health Canada approval for its MVP, and built a HIPAA-compliant platform ready for broader rollout. They’ve also developed proprietary AI and computer vision tools in collaboration with AWS. Strong early pilot results, including high NPS scores from both doctors and patients, helped them earn a spot in the Creative Destruction Lab, where they’ll graduate in June 2025 and kick off their first fundraising round.
Why NVBC: The Vancouver startup saw the 2025 New Ventures BC Competition, presented by Innovate BC, as the ideal opportunity to accelerate their growth. The competition offers the right mix of expert mentorship, strategic feedback, and investor exposure—key ingredients for a BC-based healthtech company preparing to scale. For EyeCareX, it’s not just about winning; it’s about refining their business model, strengthening their go-to-market strategy, and building connections within BC’s innovation ecosystem.
Up Next: EyeCareX is focused on scaling in Canada by expanding adoption among independent optometry clinics. This beachhead strategy will help refine their offering and drive early revenue. At the same time, they’re preparing to raise institutional capital and grow their team—especially in engineering and customer success. As their AI features evolve, they remain committed to a single mission: making high-quality, accessible eye care available to all.
From the Clinic to the Cloud
Before launching EyeCareX, CEO and Founder Justin Asgarpour began his career as a practicing optometrist and small business owner—where he experienced the system’s inefficiencies up close. He later became Chief Vision Officer at Clearly, Canada’s largest e-commerce eyecare provider, where he led national strategy and introduced the country’s first AI-based insurance billing system. That role sparked his passion for healthtech innovation and equipped him with the leadership and execution skills needed to build a startup. Today, he’s drawing on that clinical, technical, and strategic experience to reimagine how vision care is delivered.
Meet The Team
Justin Asgarpour, CEO & Founder
Favorite color: Navy — because it’s calm, professional, and hides coffee stains during long pitch days.
Favorite color: Electric blue — because it’s the color of a loading bar when code finally compiles without errors.
Andrew Asgarpour, Chief Optometrist
Favorite color: Forest green — because it’s calming, precise, and easy on the eyes (just like a well-done refraction).
Kosta Baramboim, Engineering PM
Favorite color: Beige — because it’s the color of compromise between design, dev, and “just ship it already.”
Favorite color: Deep red — because it means the servers are overheating or the code’s running hot, either way, it’s go time.
Company Cheatsheet:
City: Vancouver
Founded: October 2022
Sector: AI, Medtech, Life Sciences
