LambdaVision Advances Space-Manufactured Artificial Retina

LambdaVision has raised $7 million in seed funding to advance the preclinical development and scale up production of its investigational therapy aimed at restoring sight in patients with retinal degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and AMD.

The capital will support the company’s ongoing research and enable expansion of its microgravity-enabled manufacturing process, which has been validated in nine missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

“This seed round funding will help bring us closer to clinical trials and continue to pioneer scalable production of our artificial retina, including manufacturing techniques implemented in low-Earth orbit,” said Nicole Wagner, PhD, CEO of LambdaVision.

LambdaVision’s artificial retina uses photoactive proteins to mimic the light-absorbing function of natural photoreceptor cells, stimulating existing retinal neurons in patients who have lost photoreceptor function. The company’s proprietary process uses the microgravity environment of the ISS to produce ultra-uniform, 200-layer protein films—a level of precision difficult to achieve under Earth’s gravity.

According to Wagner, the absence of gravity allows for improved layer-by-layer deposition of the protein film, a key factor in achieving consistent optical performance and biocompatibility. This could translate into a next-generation prosthetic retina capable of providing meaningful visual restoration without the limitations of electrode-based implants.