100% Optical 2026: Momentum Builds for AX1

This weekend Occuity was delighted to attend the UK's largest Optical tradeshow - 100% Optical - with our UK Distributor, Birmingham Optical. And I have to say, the level of interest in Occuity’s technology was striking.

There has been strong engagement before, but this year felt different.

Huge interest in AX1

Our new handheld axial length device, the AX1 Axiometer, attracted attention from across the spectrum. Academia. Independents. Larger groups. Researchers. Practice owners.

What stood out most was how quickly optometrists were able to get accurate results from our devices - within just a minute of first seeing the system. Time and time again, ECPs picked up the AX1 for the very first time and were taking axial length measurements often in under a minute. As I was usually the patient, this meant I wasn't able to guide them – it was intuitive. The speed and repeatability of the AX1 impressed people immediately. No complex setup. No lengthy training curve. Just a quick introduction. A little practice and some advice on technique, and they were scanning confidently.

For a device for measuring axial length in children, that matters.

Myopia management has shifted

Over the last few years, there has been a clear movement in myopia management. What was once a neglected corner of optometry is now increasingly understood as part of a duty of care. And we firmly believe it is. Many more ECPs are now offering myopia management solutions, particularly spectacle and contact lens-based options. That growth is encouraging. But a significant number of practitioners are still doing so without measuring axial length.

The reason? Existing solutions are often expensive. They are typically desktop based requiring space that many practices simply do not have. To compound this, they often have functionality that overlaps with other machines, but this makes them more complicated to use. It also means that even when biometers are present, it can be tied up in a testing room for other patients, making it impractical for routine monitoring.

We heard a variation of this story repeatedly many times over the weekend.

As we identified early on, practitioners want to measure axial length quickly and easily. They want it to fit seamlessly into workflow. They want it to be affordable enough to justify.

The handheld portability, thoughtful design and ease of use of the AX1 clearly resonated. So did the entry-level pricing. ECPs could immediately see how it will sit alongside their existing myopia management offering and elevate it with objective measurement.

It will be a practical solution to a real problem.

The AX1 Scan Challenge

We also ran our AX1 competition to find the shortest and longest eyes, and the fastest operator!

The results were impressive with a huge range of eyes measured and many people getting quite competitive!

It was a fun way to demonstrate performance, but it also showed something more important. When clinicians can get confident results that quickly, integration into practice becomes realistic.

The winners will be announced shortly, once we have crunched the numbers.

In sight

It is a genuinely exciting time here at Occuity. After years of engineering, refinement, regulatory work and validation, the launch of AX1 is now clearly in sight. Pun intended.

We took a large number of expressions of interest over the course of the event. The appetite is there. The need is there. And the shift in mindset around myopia management is unmistakable.

If you were unable to attend 100% Optical but would like to learn more or register your interest, you can do so here: www.occuity.com/ax1

Thank you to everyone who came by the stand, shared feedback, tested the device and challenged us with thoughtful questions. Events like this remind us why we are building what we are building.