In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Matthias Hofmann, CEO of Eyebot.

Eyebot is commercializing retail kiosks that deliver quick, efficient vision testing.

Before Eyebot, Matthias led product development at Formlabs and served as an R&D lead at EyeNetra, where he helped bring the first smartphone-based vision test to market. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with graduate work in vision science and optics.

In this interview, Matthias discusses how early missteps informed Eyebot's strategy, how he proved demand before raising capital, and how iterative clinical studies established commercial credibility — along with his unconventional advice on fundraising.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

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If you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Matthias Hofmann.

KEY MOMENTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

(02:53) - Overview of Matthias’s background and the journey that led him into vision care startups
(05:58) - Lessons from solving the right problem the wrong way at EyeNetra
(08:44) - Why Eyebot chose a kiosk interface instead of smartphone vision testing
(11:08) - How Eyebot designed its system to deliver accurate prescriptions in about 90 seconds
(18:17) - How Eyebot proved demand with a rough prototype and a “Free Vision Test” sign in a Boston mall
(29:01) - How clinical studies and iteration built the evidence retailers needed to trust the technology
(33:17) - What commercialization revealed about consumer behavior in eyewear retail
(37:07) - Matthias’s fundraising advice: run your raise over Zoom and don’t lead with your pitch deck

Testing Demand Before Perfecting Technology: Interview with Eyebot CEO Matthias Hofmann

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Testing Demand Before Perfecting Technology: Interview with Eyebot CEO Matthias Hofmann