ALISO VIEJO, Calif., April 25, 2018 — OCTANe, Orange County’s technology and life sciences accelerator organization, today announced that it has partnered with the CEDARS/ASPENS Societyto enhance offerings around ophthalmic surgery for its annual Ophthalmology Technology Summit(OTS).

OTS 2018 will be held June 29 at the Fashion Island Hotel in Newport Beach, California, bringing together a high-powered lineup of leading ophthalmology technologists, researchers, clinicians and entrepreneurs in Orange County’s technology-rich epicenter for ophthalmology.

The not-for-profit CEDARS/ASPENS Society is comprised of two merged groups, the Cornea, External Disease, and Refractive Society (CEDARS) and the American Society of Progressive Enterprising Surgeons (ASPENS). The organization works with doctors to “define and shape the future of corneal, cataract, and refractive management through innovation, collaboration and education.”

“Our collaboration with OCTANe is an exciting one for CEDARS/ASPENS because it goes right to our ultimate goal, which is to help advance eye surgery toward better clinical outcomes and recovery,” said CEDARS/ASPENS President Mitchell A. Jackson, MD, of Jackson Eye in Lake Villa, Ill. “We are thrilled to help build energy and substance around that purpose, in an environment that can help bring fresh ideas and technologies into the OR.”

“OTS 2018 is poised for groundbreaking productivity and success through our partnership with CEDARS/ASPENS, a lineup of luminaries in the field, and our business and investor network,” said Bill Carpou, OCTANe CEO. “With more than 500 programs, OCTANe has facilitated more than $2.1 billion in healthcare and technology companies including equity exits. We created and host the annual OTS event to provide an environment for productive engagement solely focused on ophthalmology in order to accelerate the flow of technological ideas, talent and capital in this very dynamic specialty.”

OTS provides an intensive one-day forum that showcases new innovations and fosters partnerships between physicians, entrepreneurs, investors and business entities that share a passion to advance ophthalmology through technology. Events at OTS 2018 will focus on groundbreaking ophthalmic technologies, unmet clinical needs and new business opportunities. Highlights of the agenda include:

• A keynote presentation from Allergan CEO Brent Saunders, who will lead an open discussion about technological innovation in ophthalmology
• A lineup of ophthalmology’s key opinion leaders, including Jim Mazzo, John Hovanesian, MD, FACS, Ehsan Sadri, MD, FACS, Elizabeth Yeu-Lin, MD, Richard Lindstrom, MD, and Tom Frinzi
• Panel discussions on “Innovation and Perspectives in Ophthalmology,” “Practice Technologies and Their Impact” and “The Changing Practice Landscape”
• Company presentations for OCTANe’s Visionary Ventures Fundfor breakthrough ophthalmic technologies and LaunchPadtechnology accelerator

Details and registration are available at www.ots2018.com.

About OCTANe                                                    
OCTANe drives innovation and growth by connecting people, resources and capital to fuel technology growth in Southern California. Its members represent technology executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors, all working together to fuel innovation in the OC. The organization has helped more than 800 companies via the LaunchPad™ SBDC accelerator. LaunchPad™ companies have received more than $2.1 billion in investment and equity exits. OCTANe annually welcomes more than 7,000 people to its programs and events. More than 2,000 business leaders throughout the region are OCTANe members. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.