‍The Unmet Need For Eyeglasses Is History’s Longest-running Market Failure

Invented 700 years ago, glasses have unlocked learning and earning potential for hundreds of millions. Glasses are a simple, low-cost product that are affordable and readily available in developed markets.

Yet, 2 out of every 3 people in low-income countries who need eyeglasses, don’t have access to them.

If everyone who is currently living needlessly with poor vision received glasses the global economy would gain $410 billion per year in productivity and income generating gains.

EYElliance Is Transforming The Eyeglasses Market

Market transformation requires the activation of a diverse set of actors including governments in low- and middle-income countries, global development, local entrepreneurs, leaders from industry, and development finance.

EYElliance Is Catalyzing Market Transformation By:

Demonstrate

Demonstrating the viability of new scaling pathways by activating underutilized government and private-sector channels.

De-risk

De-risking investment, new market entry, and government adoption of proven solutions.

Enlist

Enlisting new influential actors to join in the solution.

Our Initiatives

Optical Enterprise Growth Hub

The growth engine for low-cost optical enterprises, the Hub brings together first-mover operational playbooks, access to blended finance, and mentoring, while advancing an enabling environment to de-risk new market entry and boost investor confidence.

Optical Enterprise Growth Hub

The growth engine for low-cost optical enterprises, the Hub brings together first-mover operational playbooks, access to blended finance, and mentoring, while advancing an enabling environment to de-risk new market entry and boost investor confidence.

First Grade, First Glasses

A proven blueprint for institutionalizing school-based provision of eyeglasses in national public education systems, ensuring every child is ready to learn.

EYElliance Insights & Data Portal

The intelligence backbone of the eyeglasses market, providing data, market analysis, and policy insight to guide national planning, attract investors, and shape global development priorities.

Our Impact

Demonstrate

We have demonstrated that when properly supported, Ministries of Health and Education can become the implementers and funders at scale.

We are demonstrating that when properly supported, enterprises selling affordable eyeglasses can open new retail outlets and scale with investment.

De-risk

We are de-risking government adoption of proven models through curated tools and systematized knowledge transfer, based on success in Liberia, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia, via Integration Labs, a modular, in-person sprint model designed to front-load knowledge transfer and accelerate effective implementation.

We are de-risking investment and new market entry with first-mover operational playbooks, market intelligence, and access to blended finance.

Enlist

We have enlisted influential new actors to make the case for cost effectiveness (UNESCO, World Bank) and mainstreamed the delivery of reading glasses by community level workers at the WHO.

We enlisted major global implementer Clinton Health Access Initiative to carry the First Grade, First Glasses blueprint, making it easier for governments to replicate the model.

We have enlisted a group of first mover optical entrepreneurs profitably selling low-cost eyeglasses to help us codesign the Optical Enterprise Growth Hub and prioritize offerings.