The breakthrough for Peek Vision comes from using mobile technology to build a scalable, closed-loop system that screens, diagnoses, and connects patients to treatment, even in areas with limited infrastructure.

The founder describes moments of doubt in Kenya, stressing persistence and viewing problems as a normal part of progress, with a focus on ensuring treatment happens rather than owning the service.

Economic and social impact are clear: every $1 invested in eye care yields about $28 in economic value, and the approach cuts the cost per referral sixfold while doubling reach and tripling treatment connections over time.

See Now Pay Later offers immediate treatment for low-income households, with repayment over 12 to 18 months, funded through partnerships with microfinance institutions and hospitals.

Andrew Bastawrous left a comfortable NHS surgeon career to move with his family to rural Kenya, where he helped establish 100 temporary eye clinics to treat vision problems, highlighting the gap between need and infrastructure.

Peek Vision’s impact has grown to screen 21 million people across 12 countries and connect over 2 million to treatment, with weekly screenings of about 150,000 through a partner network, and the last three years driving most of the cumulative reach.

Advice for entrants: focus on understanding the real problems in communities, stay close to the people served, and prioritize whether the impact of treatment matters more than personal ownership of delivering the service.

The platform enables non-specialists to conduct vision tests through a simple, patient-mimicking process, enabling rapid deployment and scalable care in low-resource settings.