Alcon and ARVO Continue Partnership on 2026 Eye Pitch Event
Wednesday, April 29 2026 | 08 h 34 min | News
Alcon has announced the continuation of its collaboration with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in support of the Eye Pitch event, scheduled to take place during the 2026 ARVO Annual Meeting in Denver on May 5, 2026.
The live pitch competition invites ARVO members to present research, drug, device, and technology proposals to a judging panel that includes representatives from ARVO and the Alcon Seed Fund, the company’s innovation platform focused on early- and mid-stage ophthalmic technologies.
According to Alcon, the program is designed to spotlight promising innovations in eye and vision research and provide selected finalists with mentorship, live feedback, and the opportunity to compete for cash prizes. The overall winner will also be invited into the Alcon Seed Fund diligence process for possible investment of up to US$1 million.
In a statement, Franck Leveiller, Senior Vice President, Global Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer at Alcon, said the initiative reflects the company’s interest in supporting early-stage ophthalmic innovation with the potential to influence clinical practice.
Alcon said interest in the program has grown this year, with submissions up 43% compared with last year. Finalists are scheduled to present on Tuesday, May 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. MT, followed by a networking reception.
The company also highlighted comments from Jonathan Labriola, PhD, Director of Operations at Synakis, who said participation in the 2025 Eye Pitch program helped his team refine its scientific and commercial messaging and brought added visibility to its work.
Alongside Eye Pitch, Alcon said it will introduce VisionX at ARVO 2026, a new global open innovation initiative under the Alcon Seed Fund. According to the company, the program is intended to identify ideas from fields outside traditional ophthalmology, including artificial intelligence, photonics, advanced materials, robotics, and computational imaging, and connect them to challenges in vision science.
Alcon will also support the Alcon Research Institute, which is hosting the annual Steven M. Podos Colloquium on May 2 in Denver. The session will include a discussion on myopia progression: mechanisms and management featuring Dr. Lisa Ostrin and Dr. Jay Neitz, moderated by Dr. Allen C. Ho.
Source: Alcon
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