How Home Vision Testing Disrupts Traditional Eye Care | John Serri from EyeQue Corporation

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Hey everybody, welcome back to Pathmonk Presents. Today we are joined by Dr. John Serri, founder and chairman of EyeQue Corporation. Dr. John, welcome to the show.

John Serri: Hello, Rick. Thank you for inviting me on.

Rick: Of course, happy to have you, John. Let’s start with the basics. Tell us about EyeQue Corporation—what does your company do, and what’s the story behind it?

John Serri: EyeQue is a medical device company focused on the eye. We provide a way to measure your vision accurately from home using your smartphone and a small optical attachment. You follow instructions in an app, view patterns, and get a prescription.

You can then have it approved by a doctor through our telemedicine platform or use it directly in some regions. We’ve been around for 10 years and operate in about 160 countries, with both B2C and B2B models.

Why does this matter? Because hundreds of millions of people globally don’t have access to eye care. Many can’t read due to uncorrected vision, which impacts their lives economically and socially.

Even in the U.S., access can be limited due to distance or cost. Our solution is low-cost, accessible, and scalable. It’s already helped tens of thousands of people.

The company started through a friendship. A colleague of mine founded Zenni Optical, a major online eyewear company. He asked: why can’t we test vision online too?

I have a background in physics and optics, so I saw it as solvable. We licensed a patent from MIT, built the product, and self-funded the company—no VCs. Over time, we developed around 35 patents.

We’re very technology-driven, though we need to grow more as a marketing organization. The technology is improving constantly, and now we’re integrating AI into development, support, and operations.

This shift toward home testing is inevitable—it works, it’s cheaper, and there’s a growing shortage of eye doctors. The market is also expanding due to aging populations and increasing myopia in children from screen use.

Rick: Amazing overview, John. You mentioned “inevitable,” and it really shows you have a strong vision for where this is going.

John Serri: Yes, and I want to mention my friend who helped start this vision. He passed away in 2021, but he was the true visionary behind this. My goal is to make his vision a reality.

Rick: I’m sorry for your loss. That must be a strong motivator to keep pushing forward.

Let’s shift gears to marketing. What role does your website play in making this vision happen?

John Serri: A big challenge is awareness. People don’t initially believe they can test their vision at home.

So our website is designed to guide users based on their needs—whether they need glasses, a prescription, or just information. It’s complex because it depends on age, location, and use case.

Email campaigns work very well for us. Early on, Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns were extremely successful—we sold thousands of units quickly.

But transitioning from early adopters to mass adoption is the real challenge.

Word-of-mouth works great for glasses but not for testing devices. People don’t talk about testing their eyes the same way they talk about buying glasses.

So marketing this kind of product is harder. We rely on email, promotions, ads (Google, Meta), and Amazon sales in the past. Now we’re building our own ecosystem, including telemedicine and partnerships with optical stores.

We also use videos to demonstrate the product and communicate value clearly.

Rick: It’s interesting—you’re sticking to fundamentals rather than chasing trends.

John Serri: Exactly. Consistency and stability are key, especially in MedTech. Adoption takes time.

For example, the stethoscope took about 80 years to become widely used. This isn’t an overnight success space.

Also, simplicity is critical. Our product requires user interaction, so we’re working on making it easier—using AI to guide users through the process.

Rick: That’s fascinating—using AI to reduce friction and improve usability.

John Serri: Yes, and even human tendencies like laziness can be leveraged. If you compare going to a doctor versus testing at home, the convenience becomes a strong selling point.

Rick: Absolutely. Before we wrap up—what’s one thing people should remember about EyeQue?

John Serri: We are innovators in vision care. We make eye testing accessible, affordable, and scalable. Our goal is to help millions of people see better using technology, including AI.

Rick: Love that. Where can people learn more?

John Serri: Visit eyeque.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. I respond to most messages and we’re open to partnerships across marketing, sales, engineering, and distribution.

Rick: That’s great. Thanks again for your time, John.

John Serri: Thank you, Rick.

Rick: Bye everyone.