Best Ophthalmology Companies in South Korea
The 36 best Ophthalmology companies in South Korea in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Kanaph.
- Growth Foreseen for Ophthalmology Sector
Ranked: Best Ophthalmology companies in South Korea
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanaph Developer of immunocytokine platform for treating cancer | $30M | 71 mo ago | Public | Byoung Lee CEO | 2019 | PHPGSAPApache HTTP Server+8 | 2 patents Chain retention mechanisms for foldable bicycles preventing chain derailment | — |
| 2 | NeuracleGenetics Developing gene therapies using adeno associated virus technology to treat various diseases 42Funding top 33%Market top 50%Talent bottom 49%Global bottom 36% All 4 signals ▾Fundingtop 33% Markettop 50% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 36% Funding: Raised $18.8M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Market: 30 employees (top 50% of Life Sciences) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $19M | 12 mo ago | Series C | Kim Jong-muk CEO | 2018 | — | — | — |
| 3 | EyeGene Developer of immune vaccines and diagnostic systems for eye disorders | $12M | 105 mo ago | Public | — | 2000 | GnuboardMySQLPHP+10 | 164 patents Quantitative viral antigen peptide arrays and nucleic‑acid delivery vaccine technologies. | — |
| 4 | Novelty Nobility Developer of therapeutics for eye and cancer diseases | $8M | 79 mo ago | Series A | Sang Park Founder & CEO | 2018 | — | 55 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 5 | Microt Developer of medical devices for glaucoma treatment 45Moat top 32%Innovation top 34%Patents top 36%Funding top 40% All 7 signals ▾Moattop 32% Innovationtop 34% Patentstop 36% Fundingtop 40% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 36% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 35 patents Innovation: 35 patents (top 56% of patent-holders) · 30 filings since 2022 vs 5 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $8M | 13 mo ago | Series B | Jongcheol Han CEO | 2019 | — | 35 patents Intraocular implant devices and delivery systems for treating eye diseases | — |
| 6 | KSB Tugen Developer of therapeutics for treating multiple diseases | $175K | 39 mo ago | Seed | Jeong Hyo Co-CEO | 2020 | — | 29 patents Therapeutic formulations for eye and muscle disorders using racetam derivatives. | — |
| 7 | Celico Developer of an electronic eye device for vision treatment | — | 48 mo ago | Seed | — | 2019 | — | — | — |
| 8 | CuroGene Life Sciences Developer of drugs for eye disorders | — | 99 mo ago | Deadpooled | Young Lee Founder & CEO | 2018 | — | 14 patents Gene‑therapy VEGF‑trap vectors and mTOR‑inhibitor drugs for age‑related macular degeneration | — |
Top 9 Ophthalmology companies in South Korea
#1
Series C · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2018 · 30 employees$18.8Mraised▾
Developing gene therapies using adeno associated virus technology to treat various diseases. It is focused on treating genetic disorders and has developed several pipeline products, including NG101, which is currently in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial for the treatment of patients with a rare genetic disorder. It is also engaged in developing additional gene therapy candidates targeting various neurodegenerative disorders and rare diseases.
- Sep 2025Series C$18.8M
#2
Series B · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2019 · 25 employees$7.9Mraised▾
Developer of medical devices for glaucoma treatment. The company's products include Astream a micro-sized glaucoma implant device and Blecure MD Gel a wound healing dressing gel to protect damaged skin.
- Jul 2025Series B$7.9M
#3
Public · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2019 · 13 employees$30Mraised▾
KANAPH Therapeutics is a developer of immunocytokine platform for T-cell based cancer treatment. The company uses the immunocytokine platform called TMEkine to activate the T-cells direct the cells to the tumor microenvironment to identify and kill the tumor cells. It is also developing small molecules and biologics against immuno-suppresive environment.
- Oct 2020Series B$21M
- Oct 2019Series A$6M
- Seed$2M
#4
Series A · Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do · founded 2018 · 33 employees$8.4Mraised▾
Novelty nobility is developing the therapeutics for eye and cancer diseases. The company has ongoing clinical trials on NN3201, NN3901, and NN2901 for ophthalmology and eye disease indications. The company uses technology as the SCF/c-KIT pathway as a drug target.
- Feb 2020Series A$8.4M
#5
Public · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2000 · 89 employees$11.5Mraised▾
Developer of immune vaccines and diagnostic systems for eye disorders. Its pipeline includes EG-Mirotin, a biologic drug that targets to alleviate symptoms and treat non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, EG-Decorin, a therapeutic ointment based on human derived recombinant peptide for the treatment of pressure ulcers caused by EG-HPV, a vaccine for cervical cancer and EGS, an ophthalmic anti-scarring agent and EGVac, an immune adjuvant derived from a combination of bacterial DNA. It is also developing Diabetic Retinopathy detection kit which has two techniques namely detecting the antibodies formed by vascular disruption and the diagnosis utilizing SNP sequences for VEGF receptors.
- Dec 2017Post IPO$11.5M
- 2013PE—
#6
Seed · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2020 · 8 employees$175.5Kraised▾
Developer of therapeutics for treating multiple diseases. It offers a clinical multi-omics-based treatment for refractory sarcopenia, presbyopia, Duchhene muscular dystrophy, and renal failure.
- Jun 2023Seed—
- Jul 2021Seed$175.5K
#7
Seed · Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do · founded 2019 · 4 employees—raised▾
Developer of an electronic eye device for vision treatment. The company has developed a medical device that enables patients to restore vision. It has features that assist blind people as an electronic eye.
- Aug 2022Seed—
#8
Deadpooled · Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do · founded 2018—raised▾
CuroGene develops drugs for eye disorders. It provides gene therapy products consisting of a recombinant adeno-associated virus-delivered mTOR-inhibiting short hairpin RNA that blocks the activity of both mTOR complex 1 and 2. The company is developing drugs mainly for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
- 2018Seed—
#9
Series B · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2015 · 55 employees—raised▾
pH Pharma is engaged in the development and commercialization of novel candidates in areas with high unmet needs. The company has acquired early-stage assets from Amakem Therapeutics (PHP 201, novel kinase inhibitors for the treatment of glaucoma), AntriaBio (AB 101, {in certain Asian countries}, an injectable basal insulin (which has to be used once in a week) for the control of hyperglycemia (for both Type 1 and 2 diabetes) and Bayer (PHP 303, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor. PHP 201 is undergoing Phase 2 trials (in Korea), while AB101 is undergoing Phase 1 trials.
- Jan 2018Series B—
- Apr 2017Series B—
- Dec 2016Series B—
- Apr 2016Series A—
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
How research on Medical Devices is moving in South Korea
A read on the academic research around Medical Devices — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 229 South Korea-affiliated papers.
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology28
- Seoul National University21
- Yonsei University19
- Pusan National University17
- Korea University11
- Surgical robot16
- Robot14
- Robotic surgery4
- Invasive surgery4
- Workspace4
- Surgical robot56
- Robot44
- Haptic technology12
- Robotic surgery12
- Surgical instrument12
- Biomedical engineering1→4
Where medical devices is researched across South Korea
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing medical devices patents in South Korea
South Korea medical devices patent filing is accelerating — 101,861 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by Samsung, UNIV Korea RES & BUS Found, Korea Advanced INST SCI & TECH; annual filings 7688→11853.
- Samsung17681
- UNIV Korea RES & BUS Found1952
- Korea Advanced INST SCI & TECH1612
- LG Electronics1599
- UNIV Yonsei IACF1292
- I SENS1154
- KT & G1005
- Medison999
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.