Award winning, premium private eye care provider OCL Vision has secured a multi-million-pound investment from BGF, one of the largest growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland, to fund ambitious growth plans.
Founded in 2018 by leading eye surgeons Ali Mearza, Allon Barsam, and Romesh Angunawela and later joined by Chien Wong, OCL Vision delivers almost 4,000 elective and clinical private procedures every year at its clinics in Marylebone and Kensington in London and Elstree in Hertfordshire.
The new funding will support strategic growth plans that will see new clinics rolled out across the UK, as well as the hiring of new clinicians. The team will also use the investment to enhance marketing and sales capabilities that will lead to more patients coming through the door.
The rapid growth at OCL Vision comes as increasing numbers of patients opt for private to avoid long wait times for NHS treatment, and many private hospitals pare back their ophthalmology departments. The clinics across London and the Southeast have also seen a significant increase in patients seeking aesthetic treatment and recently increased their surgical staff numbers as a result.
OCL Vision recorded double-digit growth in patient numbers and revenue in 2024, and employs over 70 members of staff, including 12 surgeons.
The group offers the full spectrum of specialist ophthalmic procedures across two core segments: refractive procedures, including laser vision correction and refractive lens replacement, as well as essential clinical procedures including cataract, retinal, glaucoma and oculoplastic surgeries. More recently, OCL Vision has expanded the team specialising in aesthetic eye surgery, as well as non-surgical aesthetic treatments.
The business recently won ‘Best Healthcare Outcomes’ at the Laing Buisson Awards in 2024. OCL Vision’s exceptional quality of care outcomes and its reputation for outstanding clinical practice, were also recently recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), underpinning its strategic position in the UK private ophthalmology market.
OCL Vision has been led by Nicholas Rudge as CEO since January 2024. Since taking the helm, Nik has been assessing the viability of expanding the eye-care group beyond its Southeast heartland.
Nicholas Rudge, CEO of OCL Vision, commented: “We believe there is a significant market opportunity to establish a leading premium ophthalmology brand across the UK.
“Recent trends in both the private medical insurance and self-pay markets, combined with private hospitals increasingly restricting access to individual ophthalmologists, highlight the unique position of our business.
“The support of BGF’s value creation team and expertise in growing healthcare businesses will be key as we continue our growth journey.
“Strategic planning has been key to our success – establishing clinics in areas of high demand, hiring a team that are committing to treating patients with excellent care and investing in the latest technology that delivers the best results and most importantly a relentless focus on patient outcomes and clinical excellence.
“This is an exciting time for OCL Vision, and we are delighted to have received such a sizable investment that allows us to chase our ambitious plans. Expanding to other parts of the country, building our team, and continuing to invest back into the company through new technology and marketing strategies, are all on the horizon.”
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