US start-up Science Corp has received the European Union’s CE mark for its Prima bionic eye, a device that treats late‑stage age‑related macular degeneration with a sub‑retinal implant and infrared glasses.

In a trial of 38 patients, 84 per cent were able to read letters, numbers and words, though the current system provides only black‑and‑white images in a narrow field of view, which founder Max Hodak likened to “looking through a straw.”

The technology originated at Stanford University and was acquired by Science Corp in 2024 after years of clinical work; commercial rollout is expected to begin in Germany within months.

The company has raised $500mn (valuation about $1.5bn) from investors including Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed, and plans to use Prima’s revenue to fund future “biohybrid” brain‑computer interfaces.

Science Corp also holds a humanitarian use designation from the US FDA, a step toward U.S. commercialization, while rivals such as Neuralink’s Blindsight and the former Second Sight Argus system vie for market share; meanwhile China’s Neuracle secured the first invasive BCI approval in March.