C O M PA N Y P R O F I L E
Custom contact lenses: the time is now
R&D investment has been central to business growth
In this company profile, we look back at 25 years of custom contact lens innovation with mark’ennovy – and what the future has in store...
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his year mark’ennovy celebrates its 25th anniversary as a different type of contact lens company: a company dedicated to a quality service and a positive experience between the eyecare professional and the patient. So, asks the company, is now the time to seriously consider the value of custom contact lenses? HISTORY AND INNOVATION Founded in the Spanish city of Madrid in 1997, mark'ennovy is today firmly established as a 'go to' specialist in individually crafted contact lenses. Continuous innovation and advancement led the company to quickly establish a reputation as a precision contact lens brand for astigmatism and presbyopia. Since its beginnings, the company has experienced international growth and now has a direct presence in 10 European markets with a distribution network reaching more than 35 countries globally. The acquisition of Vista Optics in 2010 created an epicentre of diverse materials innovation, and continues to complement
26 Vision Now March 2022
All lenses are individually crafted
the company's ever-growing portfolio of individually crafted contact lenses. Investment in R&D has been central to mark’ennovy’s growth strategy from the outset, but never so much as with the launch of Saphir Rx, the monthly silicone hydrogel contact lens. The success of Saphir Rx allowed the company to invest more heavily in new contact lens materials, designs and manufacturing technologies. It paved the way for the launch of Gentle 80 and Gentle 59, its range of bio-inspired hydrogel lenses, with Gentle 80 winning the 2015 Optician Award for Contact Lens Product of the Year. In 2016, the company continued to strengthen its tradition of innovative
materials with the launch of Blu:gen, the first contact lens with a Class 1 UV filter and blue light blocking capabailities. Next, mark'ennovy teamed up with the Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) and in 2019, introduced MYLO contact lenses for myopia management, and EDOF contact lenses for presbyopia. Both lenses are powered by BHVI's patented extended depth of focus (EDOF) technology, with MYLO being the only on-label myopia management product in a silicone hydrogel material. It also offers the company's signature range of diameters and base curves for the most precise contact lens fit, which differentiates it from any other myopia management lens on the market.
