About XPANCEO
XPANCEO is a Dubai-based deep technology company developing smart contact lenses. Founded in 2021 by Roman Axelrod and Valentyn Volkov, the company aims to create a contact lens that can display digital information directly in the wearer's field of view, as an alternative to smartphones, smart glasses and headsets.
Today's augmented reality devices are typically worn on the head, such as glasses or headsets, and can be bulky or conspicuous. A smart contact lens would place digital content, such as notifications, navigation or information about surroundings, directly on the eye in a device that is nearly invisible.
Building such a device involves solving extremely difficult technical challenges. The lens must contain tiny displays, power sources, sensors and wireless communication, all while remaining safe, comfortable and transparent enough for normal vision. XPANCEO's work involves advanced materials science, including research into nanomaterials, and precision engineering at very small scales.
The company has presented prototypes showcasing different capabilities, such as displaying images, monitoring health indicators and wireless charging. Health monitoring is a potentially important application, since the eye can provide information about the body, such as eye pressure or other health signals.
XPANCEO has raised significant venture funding to support its research and development, and it has built a team of scientists and engineers working on its technology.
Its choice of Dubai as a base reflects the UAE's efforts to attract deep tech companies and talent, with incentives for research-driven startups and support for advanced technology development.
Smart contact lenses are still at an early stage globally, with several companies and research groups exploring the concept. Commercial products face significant hurdles in engineering, safety testing and regulatory approval.
XPANCEO is one of the most ambitious hardware projects based in the UAE, and Startups UAE profiles it among Dubai's deep tech startups working on next-generation computing.
Today's augmented reality devices are typically worn on the head, such as glasses or headsets, and can be bulky or conspicuous. A smart contact lens would place digital content, such as notifications, navigation or information about surroundings, directly on the eye in a device that is nearly invisible.
Building such a device involves solving extremely difficult technical challenges. The lens must contain tiny displays, power sources, sensors and wireless communication, all while remaining safe, comfortable and transparent enough for normal vision. XPANCEO's work involves advanced materials science, including research into nanomaterials, and precision engineering at very small scales.
The company has presented prototypes showcasing different capabilities, such as displaying images, monitoring health indicators and wireless charging. Health monitoring is a potentially important application, since the eye can provide information about the body, such as eye pressure or other health signals.
XPANCEO has raised significant venture funding to support its research and development, and it has built a team of scientists and engineers working on its technology.
Its choice of Dubai as a base reflects the UAE's efforts to attract deep tech companies and talent, with incentives for research-driven startups and support for advanced technology development.
Smart contact lenses are still at an early stage globally, with several companies and research groups exploring the concept. Commercial products face significant hurdles in engineering, safety testing and regulatory approval.
XPANCEO is one of the most ambitious hardware projects based in the UAE, and Startups UAE profiles it among Dubai's deep tech startups working on next-generation computing.