Episode Details

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, sits down with returning guest Dr Simon Skalicky, Senior Glaucoma & Cataract Surgeon, Director & Principal Associate at Eye Surgery Associates, Founder & CMO of Eyeonic, researcher, academic, and healthtech entrepreneur. Dr Simon shares how his passion for improving patient outcomes led him from ophthalmology into software development, artificial intelligence, and medtech innovation. The conversation explores the future of digital health, AI-powered diagnostics, healthcare entrepreneurship, and the challenges of bringing regulated medical technology to a global market. This episode offers valuable insights for founders, healthcare professionals, software developers, and anyone interested in how technology can improve access to healthcare and prevent avoidable blindness.

Dr Simon's journey into technology began with a simple observation from clinical practice. While treating glaucoma patients, he repeatedly heard complaints about the traditional visual field test used to diagnose and monitor the disease. Recognising that patient discomfort could negatively affect both participation and diagnostic accuracy, he started exploring ways to redesign the experience using software and game-inspired interactions. At the same time, his research highlighted a significant global challenge, with millions of people living with undiagnosed glaucoma despite effective treatments being available. These insights became the foundation for Eyeonic, a digital vision testing platform that has now delivered more than 45,000 tests across over 80 countries and supports 29 languages.

The discussion also explores the realities of building a healthcare technology company from the ground up. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Simon taught himself programming and developed an early minimum viable product, refining the software through direct patient feedback and clinical testing. As the product matured, support from industry mentors, Microsoft's startup ecosystem, and a growing team of specialists helped transform the prototype into a commercially deployable medical device. Along the way, he navigated complex challenges including cybersecurity, software architecture, regulatory approvals, quality management systems, and compliance requirements across multiple international markets.

Anthony and Dr Simon discuss the importance of assembling strong teams, sharing a compelling vision, and recognising the value of diverse perspectives. As Eyeonic expanded internationally, gaining adoption among clinicians often proved more challenging than securing regulatory approval. Building trust, understanding cultural differences, and working closely with local healthcare leaders became essential components of the company's growth strategy. Dr Simon reflects on how collaboration across disciplines, countries, and cultures has played a significant role in helping Eyonic scale globally while maintaining clinical credibility.

Artificial intelligence is another major theme throughout the conversation. Dr Simon explains how AI-assisted development tools are accelerating innovation and helping teams experiment, prototype, and iterate more quickly than ever before. At the same time, he highlights the need for strong governance frameworks, intellectual property protection, cybersecurity safeguards, and regulatory oversight when deploying AI within healthcare environments. Anthony and Dr Simon also examine whether aspiring deve