Episode 368: Matthias Hofmann - Co-Founder & CEO, Eyebot

Episode 368 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Matthias Hofmann, Co-Founder & CEO of Eyebot. I met Matthias and Jack, Eyebot’s Co-Founder & CTO at a pre-party for TechCrunch’s Early Stage event in Boston a couple of years ago. It was one of those meetings that when someone describes their product - an AI powered kiosk that could conduct vision tests in 90 seconds… it sounded like something out of science fiction… but it made you pause and think… what if they actually build this… the market opportunity is massive - like TAM - everyone in the world massive. On top of that, here are some crazy stats of the void in the market that needs to be addressed with a solution: 40,000 unfilled eye doctor positions in the U.S. - more doctors retiring than graduating from school) 25% of U.S. counties don't have a practicing eye care provider 63% of Americans don't have vision insurance Well, this product and solution became a reality when Eyebot announced its partnership with Zenni Optical by deploying their kiosks in various locations and as you’ll hear from Matthias… the pipeline of demand for their kiosks is incredibly strong. Another crazy stat that he shared with me is that the team is only 14 people. It’s another perfect example of the level of innovation in the Boston tech scene with several next generation hardware & robotics companies that are emerging like 10 Beauty, Ozlo Sleepbuds, Pickle Robot, and many more. Eyebot raised a $6M seed round of funding last year led by AlleyCorp and Ubiquity Ventures with participation from other top investors. In this podcast, we cover: * Eyebot’s first appearance at CES this year and advice on how to create a buzz. * Matthias’ background story and how positions at EyeNetra & Formlabs helped shape his career. * The full story of Eyebot and the challenges in the market that they are addressing. * How their technology works, plus their go-to-market strategy, and details on funding. * Advice for founders on building hardware and raising capital. * And so much more. Episode Sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.