Press Release

ZEISS invests in Custom Surgical to accelerate digitalization of eye health diagnostics

Funding will enable development of an AI-powered workflow to improve outcomes for ophthalmology procedures
19 February 2026

Oberkochen, Germany | 19 February 2026 | ZEISS Group

ZEISS Ventures has participated in the EUR 3.5 million Pre-Series A financing round for Custom Surgical, a Munich-based medical technology company focused on digitizing and standardizing ophthalmology workflows. The funding round, led by Ventech and joined by ZEISS along a group of other investors, will support Custom Surgical’s mission to modernize eye care, which currently relies heavily on analog tools.

The company offers hardware-agnostic solutions that digitize ophthalmic workflows, seamlessly integrating into existing clinical environments. Their approach retrofits slit lamps and surgical microscopes, enabling practices to capture and manage visual data without replacing core equipment or disrupting workflows. Central to their offering is MicroREC Connect, a cloud-based platform for secure capture, storage, and organization of ophthalmic images and videos. This platform is designed as a unifying digital layer, rather than a traditional image archive, by enhancing patient documentation and creating digital continuity across examinations, procedures, and follow-ups.

  • The optical workflow system MicroREC digitizes health information from microscopes or slit lamps and enables efficient data exchange.

  • A medical professional in an operating theater is looking through a Zeiss microscope with a smartphone attached. The environment is only partially illuminated.

“We strongly believe that Custom Surgical’s digitalized ophthalmology workflows have the potential to transform global eye health, by effortlessly integrating traditional diagnostic practices with advanced AI tools, ultimately improving patient care,” states Prof. Dr. Boris Hofmann, Head of ZEISS Ventures.

“Global demand for eye care is growing at a pace that current clinical processes can no longer sustain,” says Federico Acosta, CEO of Custom Surgical. “Scalable digital workflows are essential to enable fast, accurate screening for a growing worldwide population.”

With this Pre-Series A round, Custom Surgical is poised for global expansion and advancement towards becoming the data standard for anterior segment ophthalmology, enabling improved care, outcomes, and AI-powered eye health applications.

Custom Surgical's strategy involves first digitizing and standardizing workflows, followed by introducing AI-based clinical support tools. Future applications aim to assist healthcare professionals by enhancing image capture quality, supporting treatment urgency, and optimizing referral pathways, all while keeping clinicians in control.

Press Contact Julian Bosch

Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs
ZEISS Group

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling almost 12 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, and Consumer Markets (September 30, 2025).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces, and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare, and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 15 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 46,600 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, around 40 research and development facilities, and 30 production facilities worldwide (September 30, 2025). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

About ZEISS Ventures

ZEISS Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of the ZEISS Group, makes investments and actively manages a portfolio of start-up companies. The goal is to invest in and partner with deep-tech start-ups, which go beyond ZEISS' core business and have the potential to disrupt and innovate existing technologies and business models. ZEISS Ventures seeks to empower start-ups not only with financial support but also with access to its resources, expertise, and global network as a deep-tech corporation to foster and accelerate the development and commercialization of market-shaping innovations.

Further information at www.zeiss.com/ventures

About Custom Surgical

Custom Surgical is a Munich-based medical technology company focused on digitizing and standardizing ophthalmology workflows. The company develops hardware-agnostic solutions that retrofit existing slit lamps and surgical microscopes, enabling the secure capture and management of visual clinical data without disrupting established practice environments. Its cloud-based platform, MicroREC Connect, provides a digital layer for ophthalmic examinations and procedures by supporting structured documentation and workflow continuity across clinical settings. Custom Surgical’s long-term strategy combines workflow digitization with the development of AI-based clinical support tools aimed at improving efficiency and supporting healthcare professionals in delivering high-quality patient care.


Further information at www.customsurgical.com

Press Photos

  • Custom Surgical MicroREC

    The optical workflow system MicroREC digitizes health information from microscopes or slit lamps and enables efficient data exchange.

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  • Custom Surgical MicroREC

    3 MB



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