Eyexora Debuts as First Hub-and-Spoke Ophthalmology Innovator, Backed by ClavystBio and SERI Collaborations
A new player has entered the global ophthalmology arena with ambitions to reshape how eye care therapies are discovered, developed, and delivered. Eyexora, a company purpose-built to accelerate innovation in ophthalmology, officially launched this week, introducing a first-of-its-kind hub-and-spoke model designed to overcome the inefficiencies that have long constrained the sector.
The company, which has already secured seed funding from ClavystBio, a leading life sciences investment firm, is building an international portfolio of therapeutic programs and technologies. Its initial assets have been in-licensed from the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), one of the world’s foremost academic centers for ophthalmology. Eyexora’s dual presence in the U.S., Singapore, and Europe underscores its ambition to become a truly global innovator in eye health.
Tackling an Unmet Need in a $50 Billion Market
Ophthalmology represents a vast and growing healthcare frontier. More than two billion people worldwide are affected by vision impairment or blindness, according to the World Health Organization, and the global ophthalmology market is projected to surpass $50 billion annually. Despite this immense need, drug development in the sector has historically been dominated by single-asset pipelines pursued by individual companies.
While this model has delivered important breakthroughs, it is often criticized as slow, costly, and high-risk, with many programs failing before reaching late-stage development or commercialization. Eyexora’s leadership believes that a new structural approach is needed—one that can translate scientific breakthroughs more efficiently into clinical solutions.
The Hub-and-Spoke Model
At the center of Eyexora’s strategy is its hub-and-spoke organizational model. Unlike traditional biotech firms that advance one or two therapeutic programs through a single company structure, Eyexora has designed a system where a centralized operational hub provides scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial expertise.
This expertise is then deployed across subsidiary “spokes,” each of which houses a distinct therapeutic or technology program. By pooling resources at the hub and distributing them across multiple spokes, the company aims to achieve:
- Scalable growth — multiple assets can be advanced in parallel.
- Reduced risk — the failure of one program does not jeopardize the entire portfolio.
- Operational efficiency — expertise in drug development and commercialization is centralized and shared.
- Balanced innovation — the model supports both validated mechanisms with proven potential and bold “moonshot” projects with transformative possibilities.
This approach, common in other sectors of biopharma such as oncology, is relatively new to ophthalmology and could fundamentally change the innovation curve for eye health treatments.
Global Portfolio Building Begins in Singapore and Europe
Eyexora’s first set of assets comes through its partnership with SERI, which has a long-standing reputation for pioneering translational ophthalmic research. The collaboration underscores Singapore’s role as a hub for innovation and its government’s support for turning academic science into global clinical solutions.
According to Professor Jod S. Mehta, Executive Director of SERI, the partnership is an opportunity to extend the institute’s impact on patients worldwide.
This collaboration reflects SERI’s commitment to translating cutting-edge science into clinical solutions and underscores Singapore’s role as a hub for world-class translational eye research,” he said.
Eyexora also intends to expand its footprint in Europe, where it sees opportunities to in-license and co-develop additional ophthalmic assets. By establishing subsidiaries across geographies, Eyexora can tailor its operations to local ecosystems while drawing on the global strength of its centralized hub.
Backing from ClavystBio and Leading Ophthalmology Experts
Eyexora’s launch is supported by seed financing led by ClavystBio, a Singapore-based life sciences investor with a strong track record in healthcare innovation. The participation of leading ophthalmology experts in the financing round signals strong confidence in both the model and the team driving it forward.
Ophthalmology has no shortage of brilliant science, but the industry is ripe for a new structure to optimize the translation of science into patient impact,” said Dr. Bill Link, PhD, Chairman of Eyexora. “With the right team, partners, and science, Eyexora is positioned to change the innovation curve for patients globally.
Leadership Team with Deep Industry Experience
Eyexora was co-founded by two industry veterans whose combined experience spans decades of scientific, clinical, and commercial expertise in ophthalmology.
- Dr. Bill Link, PhD, Chairman – A renowned ophthalmology investor and entrepreneur, Dr. Link previously co-founded Versant Ventures, AMO, and Flying-L Partners. Over his career, he has been instrumental in advancing multiple ophthalmic companies from startup to market leadership.
- Dr. Theresa Heah, MD, MBA, Vice Chair, CEO, and Co-Founder – A physician-executive with extensive leadership experience in late-stage drug development, Dr. Heah has held senior roles at Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Kriya, AGTC, Sanofi-Fovea, and Bayer. She is widely recognized for her ability to navigate complex development programs through regulatory approval and commercialization.
Together, Link and Heah are building Eyexora to become the go-to platform for ophthalmology innovation worldwide.
Traditional ophthalmology drug development has been dominated by single-asset pipelines, making innovation slow, costly, and high-risk,” said Dr. Heah. “Eyexora is built to change that by bringing the right structure, global partnerships, and deep domain expertise together to deliver transformative treatments faster, smarter, and at scale.
Innovation at the Intersection of Science and Structure
The Eyexora model seeks to address two key bottlenecks in ophthalmology drug development:
- Translation of science into therapies — promising research often stalls at the preclinical or early clinical stage due to lack of resources, expertise, or funding.
- Operational inefficiency — companies working on one or two assets often need to build full operational infrastructures, leading to duplication and higher costs.
By addressing both challenges, Eyexora aims to shorten development timelines, increase the probability of success, and diversify risk across a portfolio. This means patients could see faster access to novel treatments, ranging from therapies for anterior segment diseases like dry eye and corneal disorders to posterior segment conditions such as retinal degenerations.
Strategic Balance: Validated Mechanisms and Moonshots
While many ophthalmology companies take a conservative approach to drug development, Eyexora’s model allows it to balance risk and reward. The company will prioritize:
- Validated mechanisms — therapies and devices that build on established pathways with a higher likelihood of success.
- High-impact moonshots — bold innovations with the potential to revolutionize treatment paradigms, sourced from global clinician-scientists and academic incubators.
This dynamic replenishment of the pipeline ensures Eyexora’s portfolio remains robust, diversified, and future-focused.
Global Debut at the Ophthalmology Futures Forum
Eyexora’s official debut is being marked at the Ophthalmology Futures Forum, one of the field’s leading international gatherings. Dr. Heah will formally introduce the company during a presentation, while Dr. Link is serving as an invited panelist. To celebrate its launch, Eyexora is also hosting the Forum’s official evening reception on September 11, 2025, at the Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen.
The event brings together investors, researchers, and industry leaders, offering the ideal stage for Eyexora to unveil its vision and engage with potential partners across the ophthalmology ecosystem.
