Carl Zeiss buys IOL manufacturer Aaren Scientific

Germany-Carl Zeiss Meditec AG announced it has acquired, through its subsidiary Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., 100% of the shares in Aaren Scientific Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer of intraocular lenses (IOLs). Aaren Scientific, headquartered in Ontario, CA, has been manufacturing IOLs for more than two decades.

The majority of shares in Aaren Scientific were owned by a private investment company as well as other investors, including the CEO and co-founder of Aaren Scientific, Rick Aguilera. Aguilera and the management team will remain after the transaction.

Aaren Scientific was the first manufacturer of IOLs in the U.S. to receive a CE registration and is well known for its innovative R&D capabilities. The company currently has 235 employees. In 2012, Aaren Scientific achieved total revenues of approximately $20 million, primarily generated outside of the U.S. The company will be integrated into the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Surgical Ophthalmology of Carl Zeiss Meditec and complements the existing Zeiss IOL development and manufacturing sites in Berlin, Germany, and La Rochelle, France. The SBU Surgical Ophthalmology has continuously reported above market growth rates for the last 3-4 years driven by strong demand for innovative IOLs.