MICHAEL MROCHEN, PhD SCIENTIST & ENTREPRENEUR
Make better decisions
about ophthalmic
innovation.
I help investors, technology teams and clinic leaders assess the evidence, identify adoption barriers and decide what to do next.
EXPERIENCE ACROSS OPHTHALMIC INNOVATION
Laser vision correction Corneal cross-linking Tissue additionWORKING TOGETHER
Assess the evidence
before investing.
Identify the clinical assumptions, evidence gaps and adoption barriers behind the investment case.
FOR STRATEGIC COMPANIESDecide what to
develop next.
Connect a specific clinical need with product differentiation, development priorities and partnerships.
FOR CLINIC GROUPSPlan for adoption
across your clinics.
Examine patient selection, team readiness, workflow and outcomes before expanding a new procedure.
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
Experience from research
to clinical use.
My work spans optical research, product development and company building, alongside scientists, engineers and clinicians. These examples show my role, the evidence and the questions that remained.
From optical measurement to individualised laser treatment.
Early wavefront-guided LASIK research with Maik Kaemmerer and Theo Seiler.
My role and the evidence 02 / RESEARCH + TRANSLATIONFrom cross-linking research to clinical delivery.
Research and commercialization through IROC Innocross and the UV-X devices.
My role and the evidence 03 / BIOLOGY + COMPANY BUILDINGDeveloping vision correction through tissue addition.
Co-founder and CEO of Allotex, connecting corneal tissue technology with clinical development.
My role and the evidenceTHE WORK BEHIND THE IDEAS
Published. Invented.
Shared.
THE IROC PERSPECTIVE
From a scientific question
to a human difference.
01 / SCIENCE
Look closely.
Then question
the result.
An encouraging result is a starting point. In early wavefront-guided LASIK research, improved vision came with unresolved higher-order aberrations. Both findings mattered to the next development decision.
See what the early study showedClinical results of wavefront-guided LASIK
3 months after surgery
Mrochen · Kaemmerer · Seiler
An early study. Encouraging results. Questions still open.
Read the original study ↗02 / EYE
See why optical
detail matters.
Adjust focus, spherical aberration and coma to see how small optical changes alter the ray pattern.
03 / HUMAN
There is always
a person on the
other side.
Better vision matters in ordinary moments: reading a score, recognising a face, getting through the day.
A meal in a dark restaurant reminded me how much of daily life depends on sight.
Read the dark-room story04 / SOLUTIONS
The clinic is
the real test.
Patients must value the result. Surgeons must be able to deliver it reliably. Explore what happens when one side is missing.
Explore clinical adoptionPatients must value it.
Surgeons must want to
use it again.
Vision, recovery, expectations and daily life.
Confidence in outcomes, workflow and repeat use.
Patient friction
well served
Surgeon friction
Positive experiences are a starting point. Product–market fit also needs evidence of demand, repeat adoption and sustainable economics.
About this illustration
Explore hypothetical patient and surgeon experiences. The slider positions and map regions are qualitative assumptions, not measured satisfaction, clinical outcomes or validated thresholds. No combined score is calculated: a positive experience for one group does not cancel out friction for the other.
05 / INNOVATION
The experiment works.
What happens next?
Before the next investment, identify which clinical, technical or adoption uncertainty matters most—and what evidence would change the decision.
Read: what happens after proof of concept?Which uncertainty could
change the investment case?
Evidence can change the estimated chance of success. Move the assumption to see its effect in this simplified example.
project value
Change the assumed probability. The values of success and failure remain fixed.
Example only: €100m if successful and €0 if unsuccessful. This is a probability-weighted project illustration, not a company valuation.
Assumptions & valuation principle
This two-outcome illustration weights each assumed net present value by its probability. For example, a 45% chance of success gives 0.45 × €100m + 0.55 × €0 = €45m. Failure value is simplified to zero.
The outcome values are held fixed in today’s money, with costs and timing assumed to be included. The tool does not estimate evidence quality or infer a probability from a study. Real project values also depend on market opportunity, remaining costs and timing; company equity value additionally reflects financing and other assets and liabilities.
More research does not automatically increase value. New findings can raise or lower the estimated chance of success. No actual project, company or investment return is forecast.
Valuation principle: Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern ↗Which clinical, technical or adoption uncertainty should you test before committing more capital?
Explore the investor perspective ↗06 / IMPACT
The purpose is
life beyond the clinic.
The goal is a procedure people benefit from and teams can deliver reliably. That takes evidence, practical adoption and continued learning.
See the six assessment questionsBEYOND THE LABORATORY
Two wheels.
Two skis.
A different perspective.
Away from the laboratory and the boardroom, I enjoy riding my BMW R 1200 R and skiing. Both are a good reason to step away from a screen, spend time outdoors and enjoy the view. There is a person behind the publications—and he does occasionally close the laptop.