A year and a half ago, ophthalmologist Alexander Artamonov came up with the idea of creating a useful service that would help gadget users check their eyesight. This is how the project from the Montu:vision team — Roundel was born. We tell you what this service is and what its benefits are.
A year and a half ago, ophthalmologist Alexander Artamonov came up with the idea of creating a useful service that would help gadget users check their eyesight. This is how the project from the Montu:vision team — Roundel was born. We tell you what this service is and what its benefits are.
«I became the author and initiator of the concept. The initial idea was for mass vision screening in various educational institutions or offices, but later we realized that it was much more effective to implement it via a smartphone, supplementing the functionality with training capabilities and personalized recommendations. I am an ophthalmologist, working with both adults and children. My experience with mass screening and work at the institute allowed me to see how widespread vision problems are, as well as the important role that prevention and timely diagnosis play,» he told dev.ua.
Modern technology gives us the opportunity to make vision screening and training accessible to everyone, regardless of location or financial capabilities.
Artamonov says the startup’s mission is to turn the smartphone, which often causes visual strain, into a useful tool for prevention, diagnosis, and vision training, without unnecessary health risks. Roundel is an innovative vision care app that combines therapeutic exercises and games, making the process easy and fun.
During the development of the startup, the project team changed repeatedly, as did the mentors, but the key concept remained unchanged.
Currently in the team:
The team also has additional developers who are involved in creating the platform, integrating eye tracking and AI solutions.
«Currently, we have a team in place to develop the MVP, but with the investment we plan to expand the team, transfer it to a full-time work cycle, and scale the project,» Igor Romanenko noted in a comment to dev.ua.
The Montu team also has agreements on cooperation with leading experts from research institutes and renowned Ukrainian ophthalmologists specializing in accommodation disorders, strabismus, and binocular vision disorders. They participate in the development of training programs, methods of assessment, and testing the effectiveness of exercises.
«This allows us to combine medical expertise, cutting-edge technology, and modern developments in digital health, creating an innovative product for preserving and improving vision,» says the startup’s co-founder.
Roundel by Montu is a mobile platform that helps children and adults maintain eye health through adaptive exercises, binocular vision games, and diagnostic tests. Using eye tracking technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, it allows for personalized vision assessment and training.
Roundel is not a medical diagnostic tool, but it can analyze vision functions and identify potential risks. We have developed a series of tests to assess visual acuity, coordination, and muscle load. Based on the data obtained, the system provides personalized recommendations that form an individual training program and suggest optimization of the load regime to improve eye condition.
The platform analyzes vision parameters such as focusing quality, binocularity, blinking frequency and quality, concentration, and reaction speed to visual stimuli. This allows for timely detection of changes in visual functions and prevention of the development of disorders.
The application improves users' lives in the following aspects:
Roundel combines advanced technology and a scientific approach to support vision in the conditions of modern digital workload, the developers say. Thanks to the platform, users can not only monitor the condition of their eyes, but also improve visual functions through interactive exercises and personalized recommendations.
The following solutions were used in the development:
Roundel is aimed at a wide range of users who have increased strain on their eyes or want to maintain their health.
Main user categories:
The startups claim that Roundel is designed for both people with existing vision impairments and those who want to maintain their health. Among them: people with computer vision syndrome (dryness, redness, eye fatigue, headache), users with initial manifestations of myopia or astigmatism, children at risk of developing myopia due to excessive screen time, people with accommodation disorders who experience difficulty focusing, gamers who want to reduce eye fatigue and improve reaction speed, healthy users who seek prevention and maintenance of visual functions.
«Not all people with high eye strain experience immediate discomfort, but that doesn’t mean their vision isn’t negatively affected. In many cases, good genetics can help delay the onset of symptoms, but developing good vision habits is critical to maintaining eye health in the long term. Montu helps users maintain healthy vision by tailoring workouts to their individual needs,» says Romanenko.
Roundel is currently being tested among early adopters, including ophthalmologists, children at risk of myopia, gamers, and office workers. This allows developers to get feedback and improve the training personalization algorithms.
The next stage of testing involves expanding the audience through partnerships with clinics, educational institutions, and esports teams, which will allow Roundel to be maximally adapted to the real needs of users.
As Romanenko assured dev.ua, Roundel by Montu is a project launched without significant financial costs for the development of an MVP. «We made the most of our own experience, team expertise, and partnerships, which allowed us to create the first prototype without attracting external funding. One of the key factors was cooperation with Hillel IT School, which helped us form a team of developers. It was a mutually beneficial process: we provided a real case for practice, and young specialists gained experience working with an innovative product in the healthcare sector. We also attracted experts in the field of eye tracking, AI, and gamification, which allowed us to qualitatively implement the concept of a personalized approach,» he noted.
In the next stages of the project’s development, the startup plans to attract additional funding through grant programs, venture investments, and partnerships with medical institutions. According to Igor, this will help expand the functionality, improve machine learning algorithms, and adapt the service to the international market.
Roundel’s monetization is based on a subscription model, which allows users to access advanced functionality and personalized recommendations.
The monetization model includes:
The first updated release of the product is scheduled for a month, and our team is actively working on its improvement.
At the same time, startups are looking for investment to expand functionality, implement the latest technologies, and make Roundel a full-fledged tool for preventing and improving vision in conditions of digital overload.
At this stage, the organizational processes related to the registration of a legal entity and the submission of basic grant applications are being completed. This will allow the project to officially attract funding and conclude partnership agreements. In parallel, the team is working on an MVP update, which includes initial testing and optimization of the application to improve the user experience.
The next steps in the development of the project, according to Igor, will be as follows:
