BELKIN Laser Secures $12.25 Million in Oversubscribed Series B Funding to Advance One-Second, Non-Invasive Glaucoma Laser Therapy

VCBeat has learned that BELKIN Laser, an Israeli startup offering a one-second non-invasive laser treatment for glaucoma, announced today that it has successfully closed its Series B financing round. The round was oversubscribed, with total proceeds reaching $12.25 million. It was co-led by Rimonci Capital and Santen Ventures, Inc. Other participants included BioLight Life Sciences, CR-CP Life Science Fund (China Resources Zhengda Life Science Fund), and C-Mer Eye Care Holdings, which is led by renowned ophthalmologist Dr. Dennis Lam.

Daria Lemann-Blumenthal, CEO of BELKIN, stated, “This investment signals the industry’s confidence that our technology will impact the lives of millions of glaucoma patients by pioneering a viable new treatment option that eliminates the need for daily eye drops. The proceeds from this financing will be used to continue our multicenter GLAUrious trial in Europe and to launch trials in Asia. Our team’s hard work has paid off, and the good news is that a rapid, simple, and effective treatment for glaucoma is one step closer to reaching millions of patients.”

Belkin Laser CEO Daria Lemann-Blumenthal. Photo: Rish Tunney

Globally, 140 million people suffer from glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OHT)—a leading cause of blindness—yet only 200,000 ophthalmologists and 6,000 glaucoma specialists are available to provide treatment. BELKIN’s automated, non-contact, painless therapy is activated via a touchscreen interface, which is powered by high-resolution image acquisition algorithms and a proprietary eye-tracking system. This unique technology, the brainchild of Professor Michael Belkin, is designed for easy use by all ophthalmologists. It can significantly expand patient access to treatment in both urban and rural areas, while creating new revenue streams for the clinics and hospitals where these ophthalmologists practice.

BELKIN's Automated Non-Contact Painless Therapy Device

Prior to this funding round, BELKIN had raised $6.6 million, comprising an incubator grant from the Israel Innovation Authority secured through Rad Biomed Accelerator, as well as a $3 million grant from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. An additional $2.5 million was raised as part of its Series A financing, which was led by Singapore-based ZIG Ventures.

Richel Liu, CEO of Ruimengxi Capital, stated, “As an early investor in the Series A and B rounds, I am deeply impressed by the achievements BELKIN Laser has made to date, spanning from proof of concept and positive human trial results to the meticulous development of commercial-grade devices. This progress brings us one step closer to realizing the goal of expanding access to glaucoma treatment.”

Ken Araki, President of Santen Ventures, stated, “Santen Pharmaceutical aims to help drive new innovations that support providing patients with more treatment options and achieving better therapeutic outcomes.”

“BELKIN’s technology aligns perfectly with our investment strategy,” said Liu Da, Managing Director of the China Resources Zhengda Life Science Fund. “Our strategy is to foster enduring, profitable partnerships that will significantly benefit glaucoma patients in China.” Professor Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, Chairman and CEO of C-MER Eye Care, will also join BELKIN’s Medical Advisory Board. He stated, “BELKIN Laser’s technology is highly exciting, particularly given its unique solution’s potential to treat angle-closure glaucoma, a condition more prevalent among Asian populations.”

Dr. Richard Lindstrom, Chairman of the BELKIN Laser Medical Advisory Board, stated, “BELKIN’s DSLT (Direct Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty) will usher in a new era for patients with glaucoma. This next-generation Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) promises faster and easier glaucoma treatment, enabling physicians to help their patients in meaningful ways.”

BELKIN Laser is an Israel-based, clinical-stage medical device company founded in 2013. It is developing an intuitive, automated one-second laser therapy for glaucoma, aiming to expand access to first-line glaucoma treatment that eliminates the need for daily eye drops by enabling ophthalmologists and other eye care providers to treat more patients anywhere.