(PRESS RELEASE) ZEISS Vision Care, an internationally leading technology company in the eye and vision care industry, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 10% stake in Ocumeda AG (“Ocumeda”) from Fielmann Group for €10m, with the intention to acquire up to a 25% stake. The transaction values Ocumeda at €100m.
Sven Hermann, President and CEO of ZEISS Consumer Markets and Member of the Executive Board of the ZEISS Group: “Our investment in Ocumeda is part of our commitment to protect and improve the vision and visual health of consumers. We want to strengthen accessible eye and vision care – in Ocumeda we have found an excellent partner for this mission. A partner who shares our high standards in innovation and quality. Ocumeda already plays an important role as a future-proof platform provider for the ZEISS EyeCare Network, giving our customers the possibility to be successful in a business area with high potential and significant impact on consumers.”
“At ZEISS Medical Technology, central to our mission is the advancement of medical progress through innovative technologies and workflows. An important pillar of that progress is helping to make eye and vision care more accessible. ZEISS Vision Care’s investment in Ocumeda underscores this strong commitment to innovation and accessibility”, says Maximilian Foerst, President and CEO of ZEISS Medical Technology and Member of the Executive Board of the ZEISS Group.
Marc Fielmann, CEO of Fielmann Group: “We are excited to welcome ZEISS Vision Care as a strategic investor in Ocumeda. Together, we look forward to expanding Europe’s leading tele-ophthalmology platform as an open resource for patients, opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. This partnership marks an important milestone in Fielmann Group’s Vision 2035 growth strategy, which aims to make primary eyecare accessible and affordable. This way we pursue our purpose – to help everyone hear and see the beauty in the world.”
Benedikt Wiechers, CEO and Founder of Ocumeda: “This investment is another important step forward in our mission to prevent vision loss for millions of people. ZEISS Vision Care’s commitment to innovation and excellence perfectly aligns with our own values. Building on the strong foundation we created with Fielmann, ZEISS Vision Care will empower us to accelerate the expansion of our network of opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists into further markets and address the growing global shortage in accessible eye care.”
