Optain Health Acquires US's Largest Teleophthalmology Network to Advance AI-Powered Retinal Screening
Optain Health has acquired EyePACS, the United States' largest teleophthalmology network, in a strategic move to expand access to AI-enabled retinal screening and advance early detection of eye and systemic diseases in primary care environments.
The acquisition unites Optain's next-generation robotic retinal imaging technology with EyePACS's extensive community-based screening infrastructure, which spans more than 740 clinical sites including federally qualified health centres, county health systems and home-health programmes across the US.
Over its two-decade operational history, EyePACS has screened approximately 1.5 million patients and identified more than 140,000 individuals with severe sight-threatening conditions, establishing itself as a critical player in preventive eye health.
The deal formalises a two-year collaboration between the organisations and reflects their shared mission to prevent avoidable blindness whilst improving broader health outcomes through accessible, high-quality retinal imaging at the point of care.
"EyePACS and Optain share a single mission," said Jeff Dunkel, CEO of Optain Health. "We're focused on delivering simple, scalable screening to the frontlines of care, helping clinicians close gaps and detect disease earlier. Together, we're bringing forward a complete solution that combines rapid robotic imaging, specialist multi-condition grading, and seamless integration – making early detection possible for millions of patients."
Technology Integration and Market Expansion
Optain's platform features push-button robotic imaging that requires no pupil dilation or specialist operator expertise, positioning retinal screening as a viable option wherever patients receive care. The lightweight, portable camera system incorporates multilingual patient guidance and integrates with all major US electronic health record systems.
The combined organisation currently operates at 200 provider sites globally, with more than 1,000 deployments in planning across seven US health systems and one of the nation's largest primary care groups.
"We are thrilled to join Optain, an emerging leader in retinal imaging and artificial intelligence," said Dr. Jorge Cuadros, CEO of EyePACS. "We now have a unique and exceptional turnkey solution to provide fast, effective, and complete retinal exams for our primary care partners around the world. Our combined reach enables us to make meaningful progress in closing care gaps."
Platform Continuity and Investment
EyePACS's existing platform and workflows will continue operating without disruption to ensure continuity for current clinical partners. Optain has committed to significant investment in integrating and enhancing both platforms over time.
The unified solution will deliver specialist multi-condition grading including diabetic retinopathy screening, scalable analytics for population health programmes, and seamless workflow integration designed for adoption in busy primary care settings.
Advancing Oculomics Research
Beyond immediate operational benefits, the partnership unites two research programmes focused on preventive health innovation. EyePACS brings extensive experience in community-based screening and data-driven quality improvement, whilst Optain's oculomics research explores how retinal imaging can enable earlier, non-invasive detection of systemic diseases.
"Our team brings deep clinical experience solving the real-world barriers that have held back retinal screening in frontline care," said Dr. Zachary Tan, President of Optain Health. "We're building the next generation of retinal imaging — fast, intuitive, and effortless in real workflows. Together, we're meeting patients where they already are, and accelerating our vision for oculomics — unlocking the eye as a powerful window into whole-body health."
The combined organisation positions itself as a global platform for advancing preventive health through retinal imaging, with potential applications extending beyond ophthalmology into broader systemic disease detection and management.
Optain's roots can be traced back to the Australian-founded company Eyetelligence, which was launched in 2019. The company's AI retinal screening technology is the result of over a decade of research conducted by Professor Mingguang He, a leading researcher at the University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye Research in Australia.
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
