ABOUT US

Nano Retina is an innovative company developing advanced nanotechnology devices intended to restore functional vision to blind individuals. Nano Retina was founded in 2009 by two visionary medtech experts— Yossi Gross, a serial entrepreneur, inventor and co-founder of Rainbow Medical, and Jim von Ehr, a leader in the field of nanotechnology and founder and CEO of Zyvex Labs.

Based on sound scientific knowledge and rigorous research, the team at Nano Retina is developing a device that will provide functional vision to people who are blind due to retinal degenerative disease.

While a relatively young company, Nano Retina has made giant technological leaps leveraging the cumulative experience of its team members. The Nano Retina team of engineers, physicists, ophthalmologists, low vision specialists and regulatory experts has over 200 years of combined experience.

Nano Retina has offices in Herzliya, Israel, and partners globally with distinguished research centers and technology manufacturers.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to enable blind individuals the freedom and independence that comes from seeing.
Our mission is to develop products devices that will improve the quality of life of blind individuals by effectively replacing the natural function of their diseased retina with sophisticated artificial retina technology that mimics the natural physiological processes as much as possible. We will provide a solution that will allow the patient increasingly better mobility and orientation while minimizing risk.

independence mobility orientation

Our Management Team

Dan Rappaport

Dan Rappaport

CEO
Dr. Rappaport has more than 20 years of experience in the development of medical technologies from concept to market realization. Dan held leading positions in large corporate companies, including Intel and General Electric Healthcare as well as in medical startups. He is a founder of Sensible Medical Innovations which developed ReDS technology to measure lung fluids non-invasively. Prior to Nano-retina, Dan was the CTO at MindUP, a JV incubator of IBM, Medtronic, Pitango VC and Rambam Medical Center and served as a director of the board in several of its portfolio companies. Dan holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from the Technion, Israel.
Ilan Neugarten

Ilan Neugarten

Executive Chairman of Rainbow Medical and Chairman of the Board of Nano Retina
Mr. Neugarten has over 35 years of senior managerial experience, and over 15 years of experience in the medical industry. He brings to Rainbow Medical significant experience in medical device venture capital investments, commercialization, and asset realization. Mr. Neugarten joined the Viola Partners Group in 2000 as a partner of DOR Ventures, a VC fund focusing on imaging technologies. During his period at DOR Ventures he led various investments including medical imaging ventures. Since 2006, he led the healthcare investments of Viola Partners, and currently serves on the boards of Angioslide, NanoPass, and PainReform. Prior to joining the Viola Partners Group, he worked for Scitex (NASDAQ:SCIX) in various management positions in Europe, Japan, and Israel. Mr. Neugarten received his BSc in Electronics from the Technion, Haifa Israel, and an MBA from Boston University.
Ran Mendelewicz

Ran Mendelewicz

VP R&D
Mr. Mendelewicz has over 20 years of experience in managing multidisciplinary R&D projects, primarily in the medical device field. In his most recent position, Mr. Mendelewicz established and led the engineering group supporting 3 medical device startups in the fields of Laparoscopy, Gastroenterology and Diabetes Control (Easylap, Easyglide and Easynotes respectively). His responsibilities included leading R&D activities, supporting clinical and regulatory processes and preparations for mass production. Prior to this role Mr. Mendelewicz headed the mechanical development team of GI View, another medical device start up founded by Mr. Yossi Gross, founder of Nano Retina. Mr. Mendelewicz has global managerial experience leading innovative R&D projects in the UK from concept to mass production. Mr. Mendelewicz holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
David Rigler

David Rigler

VP Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs
Mr. Rigler has over 23 years of experience in leading clinical research, regulatory affairs and quality assurance teams in medical device startups. Mr. Rigler has a solid background in the fields of metabolic syndrome (Metacure) cardiology (Bio Control Medical) and vision restoration (Vision Care Ophthalmic Technologies) and has successfully mastered the regulatory and clinical path of implantable devices. He has set up quality systems that comply with international standards, clinical studies to support regulatory approvals, and early stage clinical research to develop new innovative products. Mr. Rigler holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
Prof. Yael Hanein

Prof. Yael Hanein

VP of Scientific Affairs
Ms. Hanein is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Tel Aviv University. In the past she conducted research at the Weizmann Institute of Science (M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics), Princeton University, and at the University of Washington. Her research field is neuro-engineering and her main passions are developing wearable electronic technology and bionic vision.
Prof. Hanein is the co-founder of Tel Aviv University Micro and Nano Central Facilities (MNCF). Since 2012 she has been the head of Tel Aviv University Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, steering Tel Aviv University activities in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. In 2012 she was appointed to the Israel Young Academy by the Israel Academy and served for two years as the first head of its executive committee. Prof. Hanein has been part of Nano Retina since its inception in 2009 and is responsible for providing the Nano Retina team with scientific training and technical leadership.
Tsachi Czaczkes

Tsachi Czaczkes

VP of Operations
Mr. Czaczkes has over 20 years of experience in managing multidisciplinary R&D and engineering projects in the medical device field. Prior to Nano Retina, Mr. Czaczkes established and led the engineering group at BioControl Medical, which has developed a vagal neuro stimulator implant to treat Heart Failure Patients. Mr. Czaczkes has a global managerial experience, specializing in establishing production and validation capabilities from the first single units to mass production, complying with the relevant regulatory standards. Mr. Czaczkes holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
 

SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS

  • Anat Loewenstein

    Anat Loewenstein

    MD, MHA Anat Loewenstein, MD, MHA, Professor of Ophthalmology, Chairman of the Division of Ophthalmology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, Sidney Fox Chair of Ophthalmology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, President of the Israeli Ophthalmological Society and the General Secretary of the Euretina board.
    Main field of interest is the investigation of drug administration and toxicity to the retina, early detection of macular degeneration and home monitoring of retinal disease. She has been leading several cutting-edge technologies implemented in large scale clinical trials and in clinical setting: the home OCT, a first-of a -kind artificial intelligence-enabled algorithm for monitoring retinal diseases, utilizing an OCT device in the patient's own home, and the development of a technology implementing virtual reality in vitreoretinal surgery in order to replace the standard operating microscope. She also took a pivotal part in the early development of the Port Delivery System - an innovative, FDA approved, intraocular drug delivery system. She serves on advisory boards of most large current pharmaceutical companies.
    Published more than 450 papers in peer reviewed journals, and contributed multiple chapters to ophthalmology textbooks.
    Serves as the Editor in Chief of the Journal Case Reports in Ophthalmology, is an associate editor of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science Journal, European Journal of Ophthalmology and of Ophthalmologica.
  • Peter Stalmans, M.D., Ph.D.

    Peter Stalmans, M.D., Ph.D.

    UZ Leuven, Belgium Prof. Peter Stalmans is a staff member of the Department of Ophthalmology at UZ Leuven and Associate Professor at the KU Leuven. After completion of his residency-in-training in ophthalmology at UZ Leuven, he worked for one year as a vitreoretinal fellow at the Eye Hospital Rotterdam. He became a staff member at UZ Leuven in 2000 and Associate Professor at the KU Leuven in 2001.
    Prof. Stalmans is a member of AAO, ARVO, EVER, the Belgian Society of Ophthalmology, ASRS, EVRS, and EURETINA and has organized the international Leuven Retina Meeting in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He has presented at various national and international meetings. Prof. Stalmans was the principal investigator of the phase II ocriplasmin clinical trial and coordinating investigator of the MIVI TRUST phase III trials (MIVI 6 and MIVI 7). His professional interests are vitreoretinal surgery, surgical instrument and device development and pharmacological vitreolysis.
    Prof. Stalmans works extensively with Nano Retina on the development of the surgical procedure and the clinical aspects of the device.
  • Dov Weinberger, M.D.

    Dov Weinberger, M.D.

    Rabin Medical Center, Israel A senior advisor to Nano Retina in the field of retinal surgery, Prof. Dov Weinberger has expertise in the area of ophthalmic medicine that spans over 30 years of practice with over 100 scientific publications. Prof. Weinberger is Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Center, and full professor at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine of the Tel Aviv University. His main interests are surgery and lecturing in the areas of Advanced Ophthalmic Laser Therapy, Ocular Trauma, and Vitreoretinal Surgery. Prof. Weinberger graduated from the Technion’s Rappaport Medical Faculty of Medicine (previously named Abba Hushi Faculty of Medicine) in Haifa.

INVESTORS

  • Rainbow Medical Innovation Ltd. is a private medical device investment and holding company focused on improving people’s lives by transforming innovative therapeutic technologies into breakthrough products. Rainbow Medical Innovation creates and funds companies based on proprietary technologies that solve significant medical unmet needs.

    Marrying technical ingenuity with strong business acumen, Yossi Gross, Leon Recanati and Efi Cohen-Arazi founded Rainbow Medical in 2008 to provide seed investment to those inventions by Yossi Gross which have the highest potential to make an impact.

    For more information on Rainbow Medical please visit the Rainbow Medical website.

  • Founded in 1997, Zyvex Labs designs, constructs, and commercializes the world’s most precise manufactured products.

    Zyvex Labs is the Founder and Manager of the Atomically Precise Manufacturing Consortium (APMC). Zyvex and its APMC collaborators are developing the tools to build atomically precise products atom-by-atom. The company operates in four major areas; micro assembly, electron optics, ion optics and photon optics.

    Zyvex Labs is a founding partner of Nano Retina and continues a close collaboration with its R&D team.

    For more information on Zyvex Labs please visit the Zyvex Labs website.

  • Docor is dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurial start-up endeavors, as well as to supporting mature technological companies demonstrating a high potential for growth.

    By applying a dynamic, comprehensive approach to business, as an active investor, Docor provides technological companies and innovative entrepreneurs in Israel with hands-on management skills, a long-term approach and added value, backed by the solid reputation, experience and leadership of the Van Leer Group Foundation. By investing in companies active in Israel or based on technology developed in Israel, Docor seeks to contribute to the welfare of the Israeli economy and society. By investing in globally oriented companies promoting innovative technologies and targeting developing markets, Docor seeks to create added value worldwide.

    For more information on Docor please visit the Docor website.

  • Ping An Ventures is the venture capital arm of Ping An Insurance Group. Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. is an integrated financial services group with three core businesses of insurance, banking and investment. Ping An is ranked number 96 in U.S. Fortune’s Global 500 ranking, and number 1 among China’s non-state owned enterprises.

    For more information on Pin An Ventures please visit the Ping An Ventures website.

  • Ki Corporation Limited (Ki) is a diversified group founded by Mr. Nathan Kirsh with investments worldwide in trading, property, financial services and other ventures. Ki has a controlling interest in Jetro Holdings, trading as Restaurant Depot and Jetro Cash & Carry, which sells wholesale groceries and supplies to restaurant and bodega owners in the US.

    Ki’s activities extend beyond food and real estate, with private equity investments in manufacturing, leisure, financial services, technology, mobile telecommunications, and pharmaceutical & life sciences. Examples of investments include stakes in Crest JMT Leather, a U.K.-based tanner, and Holmes Place, an Amsterdam-based fitness chain, but the vast majority of investments are not currently publicly disclosed.