M2care and ZEISS Ventures Support Maculaser Oy to Advance Pioneering Temperature-Controlled Retinal Laser Therapy

M2care and ZEISS Ventures Support Maculaser Oy to Advance Pioneering Temperature-Controlled Retinal Laser Therapy

Appointment of M2care’s Florence Thueux and ZEISS Ventures’ Mike Gänßler
to Maculaser Board of Directors

Helsinki, Finland / Lyon, France / Oberkochen, Germany – 28 May 2026 – Maculaser Oy, a Finland-based medtech company developing a first-of-its-kind temperature-controlled retinal laser therapy, announces a new undisclosed investment with the participation of M2care, a European healthtech venture studio, and ZEISS Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of the ZEISS Group. This investment will support Maculaser’s progression toward clinical validation and commercial readiness.

Founded in 2020 and rooted in pioneering research at Aalto University, Finland, Maculaser has developed a patented technology that enables real-time, personalized temperature control of the retina during non-damaging laser treatments, a potential breakthrough in the prevention and early treatment of the world’s most common retinal diseases.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) are among the leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Over 200 million people are affected by AMD alone,¹ with annual direct healthcare costs exceeding €200 billion globally.² For many patients with advanced retinal disease, current treatment options rely heavily on repeated intravitreal drug injections, invasive and costly procedures that can slow disease progression but often create a substantial burden for patients, healthcare systems, and payers.

Maculaser’s patented technology introduces a fundamentally different approach: a non-damaging, temperature-controlled retinal laser treatment that activates the natural heat-shock defense mechanisms of retinal cells. By precisely monitoring and controlling retinal temperature in real time during each treatment, the system enables personalized therapy that can target disease at earlier stages, before irreversible damage occurs.

Backed by M2care and ZEISS Ventures, Maculaser will begin implementing the clinical development plan for its personalized retinal laser therapy. As part of the investment, M2care will support Maculaser with venture-building expertise across clinical development, regulatory strategy, financing preparation, and commercial planning. The company’s immediate priority is to advance to first-in-human studies while continuing the regulatory and manufacturing workstreams to support clinical validation and future use in ophthalmology clinics.

Jani Tirronen, CEO and Co-Founder of Maculaser, commented: “This new collaboration marks an important moment for Maculaser. With M2care and ZEISS Ventures joining us, we gain not only financial support but also strategic partners who bring deep expertise in healthtech and ophthalmic innovation. Together, we are well positioned to bring temperature-controlled retinal laser therapy to the clinic, where it can make a real difference for millions of patients.”

Carsten Laue, General Manager of M2care, said: “Maculaser exemplifies the type of deep-tech innovation that M2care was created to support, a breakthrough technology born in a world-class academic laboratory with the potential to transform clinical practice. We are excited to be operationally involved with the Maculaser team alongside ZEISS Ventures expertise to accelerate Maculaser’s path to market.”

Mike Gänßler, Investment Manager at ZEISS Ventures and incoming Board Member of Maculaser, stated: “Maculaser's temperature-controlled retinal laser technology has the potential for early intervention and substantially delaying or even preventing the progression of retinal diseases. Ultimately, this may improve clinical outcomes for patients by enabling an earlier, safer, and more effective alternative to current therapeutic approaches. At ZEISS Ventures, we are committed to investing in and partnering with deep-tech startups that can drive meaningful innovation in eye health."

Florence Thueux, President of M2care and incoming Board Member of Maculaser, commented: “Joining Maculaser’s board is a natural extension of M2care’s hands-on approach to venture building. I look forward to working closely with Jani and his team to help navigate the clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones ahead. Maculaser’s technology has the potential to redefine how retinal diseases are treated, and I am honored to contribute to that journey.”

About Maculaser

Maculaser is a Finland-based medtech company founded in 2020, headquartered in Helsinki. Born from pioneering research at Aalto University’s biomedical engineering laboratory, Maculaser develops a patented temperature-controlled retinal laser therapy designed to treat common blinding eye diseases — including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). By enabling personalized, non-damaging retinal treatment, Maculaser aims to shift care toward earlier disease control, with the goal of slowing disease progression across all stages of AMD and preserving patients’ vision before irreversible damage occurs.

For more information, visit www.maculaser.com.

About M2care

M2care is a European venture studio specializing in healthtech, founded by Mérieux Développement, a subsidiary of the Institut Mérieux, and CEA Investissement. Based in Lyon, Paris, and Switzerland, M2care founds, develops, and finances innovative projects at the earliest stages of maturity, alongside project founders. Through its investment capacity, operational expertise, entrepreneurs-in-residence model, and international network, M2care helps transform academic innovations into healthtech companies with a clear path toward clinical development, commercialization, and patient impact. In June 2025, M2care closed a fundraising of €26 million to create and develop eight new healthtech projects across cardiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, and neurology.

For more information, visit www.m2.care.

About ZEISS Ventures

ZEISS Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of the ZEISS Group, makes investments and actively manages a portfolio of start-up companies. The goal is to invest in and partner with deep-tech start-ups, which go beyond ZEISS' core business and have the potential to disrupt and innovate existing technologies and business models. ZEISS Ventures seeks to empower start-ups not only with financial support but also with access to its resources, expertise, and global network as a deep-tech corporation to foster and accelerate the development and commercialization of market-shaping innovations.

For more information, please visit www.zeiss.com/ventures.

Contacts

Press Contact

MC Services AG
Dr. Cora Kaiser
Phone: +49 (0)89 210 228 0
Email: m2care@mc-services.eu
www.mc-services.eu

¹ Paudel N, Brady L, Stratieva P, Galvin O, Lui B, Van den Brande I, Malkowski JP, Rebeira M, MacAllister S, O'Riordan T, Daly A. Economic Burden of Late-Stage Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Bulgaria, Germany, and the US. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2024 Dec 1;142(12):1123-1130. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.4401. PMID: 39480444; PMCID: PMC12316190.

² AMD Alliance International. (2010, April 16). First-ever estimates of global cost of vision loss reported today. Business Wire. https://aa.com.tr/en/archive/amd-alliance-international-first-ever-estimates-of-global-cost-of-vision-loss-reported-today/423006?sm_guid=NDkwMTcwfDM0MjA0OTMxfC0xfE1ueWt0eUBnbWFpbC5jb218NTA5ODc0N3x8MHwwfDEwMjk1MTg2MHw4Mzd8MHwwfHw0Nzc4Nzc1