Updated:
Visibly
Visibly secured the first FDA-cleared online vision test in 2022 and sells the platform to optical businesses rather than running a consumer marketplace.
Visibly
Visibly builds the technology layer that lets optical businesses offer vision tests, video consultations, and automated prescription verification. The company's core asset is the Visibly Digital Acuity Product, an at-home vision exam that received FDA clearance in 2022 after years of legal and regulatory friction with legacy optometry interests. Rather than operate its own consumer brand, Visibly packages the clearance as a white-label platform; optical retailers and telehealth providers integrate it to keep patients in their own funnel. The platform spans four integrated products beyond the core vision test: asynchronous video visits with licensed optometrists for non-emergency follow-ups and contact-lens compliance checks; automated prescription-verification APIs that help sellers comply with the Contact Lens Rule without manual outreach; and fulfillment-automation connectors pre-built to the largest labs, distributors, and manufacturers in US eyewear. Named service regions include a nationwide US network of eye-care providers who review and renew prescriptions inside 24 hours. Team size and principal names are not publicly disclosed. In 2022, Visibly achieved FDA clearance for its VDAP product, which remains the structural anchor of the business — a regulated digital diagnostic that can be bundled into any brand's direct-to-consumer channel without building regulatory capability in-house. Visibly's structural differentiator is not the vision test itself but the regulatory wrapper it provides. By holding the FDA-cleared diagnostic asset and a national provider network, Visibly lets any optical retailer, insurer, or e-commerce player add prescription renewal to their checkout flow overnight, bypassing the state-by-state legislative battles that previously blocked online refraction.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Chicago
Corporate office
Chicago, IL, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the Visibly Digital Acuity Product and why does it matter?
VDAP is an online vision test that received FDA clearance in 2022, making it the first tool of its kind that optometrists can use to remotely generate or renew a glasses prescription. The clearance creates a regulatory safe harbor that optical retailers, telehealth apps, and insurers can license, allowing them to offer at-home prescription renewal without building their own regulated diagnostic.
Does Visibly run a direct-to-consumer business?
Visibly's strategy is to be the infrastructure behind other brands, not a consumer-facing marketplace. Its website describes tailored solutions, branded test experiences, and custom email workflows integrated into a client's own offering. No standalone consumer app or retail storefront is promoted as its primary go-to-market motion.
How does Visibly handle regulatory risk across different states?
Federal FDA clearance preempts many state-level restrictions that previously blocked online refraction providers. Visibly couples this clearance with a nationwide network of licensed eye-care providers and automated prescription-verification APIs, which together aim to satisfy both the FDA's requirements and the Federal Trade Commission's Contact Lens Rule mandates.
What services does Visibly offer besides the vision test?
The platform includes four modules: an at-home or in-office vision test; asynchronous and live video visits with eye-care providers for non-emergency concerns; automated prescription verification that streamlines compliance with the Contact Lens Rule; and fulfillment automation via pre-built integrations with leading eyewear labs and distributors.
Who are Visibly's typical end customers?
Visibly's website pitches 'leading companies' in optical and retail — optical chains, contact-lens e-commerce sites, employers offering vision benefits, and health plans that want to add vision services to a member portal. The company frames itself as a platform for any organization that wants to dispense prescriptions, measure visual acuity, or automate contact-lens fulfillment.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: