Fife firm behind sight-saving retinal tech celebrates 30 years with double-digit revenue hike

The firm, which was founded in 1992 with the goal of making a patient-friendly device to capture an ultra-widefield image of the retina, posted a 14 per cent rise in revenue for the year ended March 2022, to $254 million (£235m).

Over the past three decades, Dunfermline-based Optos has continued to evolve and broaden its offering and now has four core imaging platforms – the Daytona, California, Monaco and Silverstone – with more than 22,000 devices across the world using the technology.

The business was founded by Douglas Anderson after his five-year old son lost his sight in one eye due to a retinal detachment despite regular eye examinations.

Over the past three decades, Dunfermline-based Optos, which is now part of Nikon, has continued to evolve and broaden its offering and now has more than 22,000 devices across the world using its technology.

The firm, which was acquired by Japanese giant Nikon in 2015, has continued to invest significantly into research and development (R&D), and for the year under review this amounted to $18.6m, up more than 40 per cent on the previous year.

Globally, more than 500 people are employed by the business in a variety of roles including R&D, manufacturing, clinical research and sales.

Chief executive Rob Kennedy said: “We are proud of what Optos has achieved over the past three decades. We have remained true to Douglas’ core purpose of improving patient outcomes by providing the best imaging technology and so reduce the risk of sight loss.

“In pursuit of this purpose, we pioneered the only single capture ultra-widefield retinal imaging, and now more than 22,000 Optomap devices are in use worldwide. We have delivered significant growth, continued to develop our technology, and ultimately enabled our customers to help save the sight of their patients.

“I want to thank all the Optos team for their innovation and hard work over the last 30 years. It’s this dedication and commitment that has helped shape Optos to become the business it is today and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries in support of our customers and their patients.”

The firm’s systems can be found in many optometrist and ophthalmologist practices around the world, as well as in hospitals.