Waiting months for a simple appointment with an eye specialist is a frustrating reality for millions of patients across Europe. This bottleneck creates anxiety and risks missing critical early warning signs of disease.
Berlin startup Mirantus Health is tackling this crisis head-on with a digital solution that slashes waiting times from months to hours. The company just announced a fresh €5.5 million funding round to expand its rapid screening platform. This technology connects local opticians directly with ophthalmologists to deliver professional evaluations within days.
Fresh Capital to Scale Digital Eye Care in DACH Region
Mirantus Health has successfully closed a significant financing round of €5.5 million to propel its software platform, mira, into the mainstream. This investment marks a major milestone for the health tech company as it aims to bridge the widening gap between patient demand and specialist availability. The funding round attracted a heavy hitting lineup of investors who see massive potential in digital health logistics.
Key investors backing this vision include:
- Revent: Known for backing purpose driven tech.
- Redstone: A venture capital firm with deep industry ties.
- Entrepreneur First: A global talent investor.
- Noaber & Arve Capital: Focusing on impactful healthcare solutions.
- Angel Investors: Kai Eberhardt of Oviva and Katharina Jünger of TeleClinic.
This influx of capital is strictly earmarked for growth. The primary goal is to roll out the mira software across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The company plans to scale its presence from 200 locations to over 1,000 by 2027. This aggressive expansion strategy suggests that digital triage systems are becoming essential infrastructure in modern healthcare.
berlin health tech startup mirantus health eye screening software funding
Tackling the Looming Ophthalmologist Shortage
The healthcare system in Germany and its neighbors is facing a severe demographic crunch. The supply of medical professionals simply cannot keep up with the demand generated by an aging society. This disconnect results in dangerously long wait times for routine checkups.
The Crisis in Numbers:
- 30% of ophthalmologists in Germany are over 60 years old.
- Retirement Wave: A third of the workforce will leave in the next few years.
- Rising Demand: An aging population requires more frequent eye care.
This creates a “perfect storm” where patients are left vulnerable. When early symptoms appear, waiting three to six months for an appointment can mean the difference between saving sight and irreversible damage. Mirantus Health addresses this specific pain point by decentralizing the initial data collection. By moving the technical measurements to opticians, they free up doctors to focus purely on medical evaluation.
How mira Brings Specialists to the Optician Shop
The core of the Mirantus solution is its seamless software platform called mira. It transforms a standard visit to an optician into a medically backed screening event. Patients no longer need to camp out on phone lines trying to book a specialist visit for basic concerns.
The process is designed for speed and accessibility. Local opticians use the mira platform to conduct a series of high tech examinations right in their store.
The on-site screening includes:
- Retinal Imaging: detailed photos of the back of the eye.
- Intraocular Pressure: a key indicator for glaucoma.
- Slit-lamp Examinations: checking the front structures of the eye.
- Visual Acuity Tests: standard vision sharpness checks.
Once the optician collects this data, it is uploaded securely to the cloud. A qualified ophthalmologist then reviews the data remotely and provides a report within 24 to 48 hours. This rapid turnaround is a game changer for patient peace of mind. It removes the uncertainty of waiting and provides a clear path forward.
It is important to note that this report acts as a risk assessment rather than a final clinical diagnosis. The system flags abnormalities efficiently. If the remote doctor spots an issue, the patient is fast tracked. Mirantus assists these patients in scheduling priority appointments through a network of over 400 partner ophthalmologists. This ensures that urgent cases get the attention they need immediately.
Preventing Long Term Costs Through Early Detection
The economic argument for this model is just as strong as the medical one. Healthcare systems across Europe are struggling with the high costs of treating advanced chronic diseases. Conditions like diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma are much cheaper and easier to manage if caught early.
By lowering the barrier to entry, mira encourages more people to get checked. Low threshold access points mean patients are less likely to skip screenings due to inconvenience.
Benefits of the mira model:
- Reduced Burden on Clinics: Doctors see fewer routine cases and more patients who actually need treatment.
- Faster Interventions: Disease progression is halted sooner.
- Cost Efficiency: Prevents expensive surgeries or long term rehabilitation associated with vision loss.
This approach aligns perfectly with the shift toward preventative medicine. The €5.5 million investment validates the market belief that the future of healthcare is hybrid. It combines physical access points like optician shops with digital medical expertise.
Mirantus Health is positioning itself as the connective tissue in this new ecosystem. They are proving that technology does not replace doctors. It helps them reach more patients faster. With the backing of telemedicine pioneers like Katharina Jünger, the company has the strategic guidance to navigate the complex regulatory landscape of the DACH region.
The Future of Eye Care is Hybrid and Fast
The success of this funding round signals a broader trend in European healthcare. The rigid structures of the past are giving way to flexible, tech enabled solutions. Patients expect the same speed in healthcare that they get in other services.
Mirantus Health is delivering on that expectation. They are taking a complex medical necessity and making it as easy as visiting a local eyewear store. As they aim for 1,000 locations in the next three years, the days of waiting months for a simple eye check may finally be coming to an end.
This is a vital step forward for public health. It empowers opticians, supports overburdened doctors, and most importantly, protects patients.
