XPANCEO, a deep-tech company building smart contact lenses as the next interface for the AI era, presents a selection of its prototypes at VivaTech. The showcase marks a key step toward the company’s first public demonstration of an integrated smart contact lens prototype, planned for early 2027.
At the event, XPANCEO introduces two dimensions of its platform: the technology stack behind the first integrated prototype; a set of standalone prototypes that already show how these technologies can address real-world needs in high-impact industries. Together, these systems reflect XPANCEO’s progress through more than 28 prototypes and several technology generations.
Core Technologies for the Integrated Prototype
XPANCEO presents an updated on-eye microdisplay demo, combining a microdisplay with proprietary optics to make the image viewable at an extremely close eye distance. The compact stick-holder format lets users bring the prototype close to the eye and experience how visual information could appear through a future smart contact lens.
The communication module connects the lens to an external companion device that supports computing and power management. Custom antenna technology keeps the link stable while delivering up to three times higher radiation efficiency than conventional on-body antennas.
The microbattery, encapsulated into the smart contact lens, enables autonomous operation and wireless recharging. The companion device can power the contact lens electronics and recharge the microbattery at the same time, while stored battery power allows the lens to operate independently when needed.
The health monitoring platform demonstrates real-time transmission of sensor data from a smart contact lens to a smartphone. The system uses an electrochemical sensing platform integrated into the device to detect selected biomarkers in tear fluid.
The transparent flexible electronics prototype showcases how ultra-thin, transparent conductors can be integrated into a smart contact lens while preserving flexibility. Built with XPANCEO’s patented quasi-two-dimensional gold technology, the conductors consist of just a few atomic layers of gold. This makes it possible to route connections around the edges of the contact lens and through the central zone when required.
Together, these components form an easily combinable optoelectronic platform for building next-generation XR devices, designed to rapidly adapt to almost any use case.
Industry-Shaping Business Applications
XPANCEO’s Smart Contact Lens for Medicine Monitoring is developed to support safer treatment adjustment in complex therapies such as cancer and thrombosis. After being worn throughout the day, the contact lens is placed into a container that analyzes the tear sample to detect medication traces without an invasive blood test.
XPANCEO’s AI-powered Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Management is designed for earlier detection and more continuous monitoring of glaucoma, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. Patients can monitor their condition through a smartphone selfie instead of relying only on occasional in-clinic tests.
Another prototype is the AR Vision Smart Contact Lens for Frontier Applications, developed for high-performance environments, including space missions, aviation, and racing. Paired with a helmet companion device, the prototype allows visual information to appear without placing extra hardware in front of the user’s face.
The VivaTech showcase brings XPANCEO closer to its next defining moment: the first public demonstration of an integrated smart contact lens prototype in early 2027. During the demo, the company’s founders will wear the contact lens to show display, power, connectivity, and sensing operating together on the eye. This will be XPANCEO’s closest step yet toward computing beyond screens.
