Vision for the Legally BlindeSight Eyewear How can a legally blind person see? White canes, magnifying screens, service animals, text-to-speech software, and CCTV scanners can help blind people, but they cannot do the job alone. Until recently, options to permit vision were not accessible and useful. But sight is a reality for approximately 1,000 legally blind and low-vision people thus far thanks to a new product. Legally blind people have seen their loved ones for the first time, participated in and watched sports, and more thanks to eSight Corporations eSight 3 electronic glasses. eSights founder, Conrad Lewis, is an electrical engineer and marketer. Lewis, who has two legally blind sisters, sought a viable solution for this type of sight limitation. He wanted to create a product that provided instant sight, enabled mobility, and was hands-free, wear-able and comfortable, and versatile. He felt that whatever technology he and his team developed had to simulate how sighted people see. eSights mission is to Make Blindness History by 2020. Lewis formed his company in 2006 with hopes of bringing sight to blind people. He aimed to develop a technological solution using a medical device rather than a surgical solution. Assistive devices for the blind have typically been designed for safety and to assist in activities of daily living. Lewis wanted to mimic reality, so that blind people could see in real time. The first-generation eSight 1 (2013) and second-generation eSight 2 (2015) paved the way for the latest version of this device, eSight 3 (2017). Start-up investments and growth capital for eSight have totaled over $32 million since 2006. Publicly available information shows a total of over $8.5 million of that funding from six rounds of equity investments and the Canadian government since 2009. These investments and the government grant were critical to keep the company afloat while the team pursued product development and market entry. Some of the funding included: MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund: $500,000 (2009) First Leaside Visions II Investment Partnership: $750,000 (2010) Oleg Uritsky and Fort Point Angels: $1,829,440 (2012) Canadian government grant: $950,000 (2013) iGan Partners: CA$4,200,000 and undisclosed (2014 and 2015) Undisclosed investor: $562,631 (2015) The price point of $9,995 is out of reach for many potential beneficiaries. eSight, in accordance with its slogan, Everyone Deserves to See, is working with insurance companies and vision professionals and assists its customers in fundraising. Using the Causevox platform, eSight has raised $3,482,821 from 7,261 donors to sup-port 348 people who can now see (as of January 2018). The company also has Vision Advocates who help identify sources of funding from the private and public sectors. eSight Eyewear developed an innovative, life-changing product that works. Will the investment pay off?

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. What categories of costs would you expect to see in a list of eSight start-up costs?

2. What might be the appeal of the donation campaign for eSight to its donors?