The Next Leap in Human-Computer Interaction: Inside the XPANCEO Vision for Smart Contact Lenses
In a world where smartphones, smartwatches, and AR headsets dominate our daily routines, one startup is asking a provocative question: What if all of that technology could disappear into something as simple and natural as a contact lens?
XPANCEO, a Dubai-based deep-tech company, recently achieved unicorn status with a $250 million Series A funding round, valuing the company at $1.35 billion. But behind the impressive numbers lies an even more ambitious vision: creating smart contact lenses that merge humans with AI, transforming how we interact with technology, monitor our health, and ultimately, how we live.
Founded in 2021 by serial entrepreneur Roman Axelrod and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov, XPANCEO is developing ultra-thin lenses capable of projecting augmented reality overlays, tracking real-time health metrics through tear fluid analysis, and enabling hands-free interaction with digital environments—all while remaining invisible and weightless on the eye.
Their team, ranked among the top-3 startups in physics by Nature Index, isn’t just building another wearable device. They’re reimagining computing itself, creating what they call “AI-powered XR computing” that could one day help humanity become an interplanetary species.
We interviewed Roman Axelrod and Dr. Valentyn S. Volkov to explore the technology, philosophy, and bold vision driving behind XPANCEO’s mission to make computing as natural as thought itself.
Roman, thank you for joining us. To start, can you share a bit about your entrepreneurial journey and what led you to found XPANCEO?
RomanAxelrod: My journey into technology began with my grandfather, a pioneering engineer who worked on the first computers. He often told me that anything could be built, and this belief shaped my approach to innovation.
I’ve since founded ventures in computer vision, e-sports, and fintech, expanding into Western Europe, the USA, and APAC, and partnering with major global brands. Over time, I became determined to create the next generation of computing: one seamlessly embedded into daily life, amplifying human potential instead of limiting it. I believe that to prepare humanity for a future where we can become an interplanetary species, we must transform how we care for the body and mind — starting with a complete reinvention of our relationship with technology.
Like many, I grew frustrated with primitive, bulky devices that force us to adapt to them. I envisioned something different: an elegant, intuitive form factor capable of blending physical and virtual worlds, powered by vast processing that responds to the user’s context and needs in real time.
That vision crystallized when I came across a photograph of a female astronaut with a galaxy reflected in her helmet visor. It inspired the idea of an invisible and weightless smart contact lens, a single device to replace every gadget we know.
In 2021, I founded XPANCEO with Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, a global leader in nanophotonics and advanced materials. Today, our exceptional team — ranked as a top-3 startup in physics by Nature Index — is creating ultra‑thin lenses that redefine human–technology interaction and open the door to AI-powered XR computing, free from the constraints of boxes and screens.
XPANCEO’s smart contact lens concept is groundbreaking. What problem in the market are you aiming to solve with these lenses?
RomanAxelrod: Our smart contact lens aims to solve all the problems of the gadgets we use today. The real challenge isn’t that our devices are fragmented, heavy, and fragile. It’s that they’re fundamentally inadequate for the goals humanity should be striving for. Our current gadgets were built for convenience, not for unlocking our true cognitive, creative, and physiological potential. They can’t help us prepare for the kind of future where we thrive beyond Earth, extend healthy lifespans, and solve complex global problems in a short amount of time.
XPANCEO’s smart contact lenses are designed as humanity’s next‑generation computing platform and ultimately aim to merge humans with AI in order to seamlessly extend our senses, our decision‑making capabilities, and our ability to interact with both people and environments. By merging immersive information overlays in XR, continuous non‑invasive health insights, and enhanced vision into something as natural as a contact lens, we intend to make tools that don’t just fit into life. Rather, they will expand what life can be.
The health monitoring aspect is fascinating. What kinds of health data can XPANCEO lenses track, and how will this benefit users? How do users receive and respond to the real-time health monitoring data provided by the lenses, like hydration or stress alerts?
Valentyn Volkov: Our smart contact lenses are designed to monitor two broad categories of data:
- General well-being of the body — currently focusing on key indicators such as hydration and stress, and in the future potentially glucose, lactate, cholesterol, cortisol, and vitamin levels.
- Ocular health — for example, intraocular pressure (IOP), which is critical in managing conditions like glaucoma, and moisture to avoid dry eye syndrome.
The measurements of general health are derived from tear fluid, which poses a unique scientific challenge: concentrations of many biomarkers are far lower than they are in blood, sometimes by orders of magnitude. One of XPANCEO’s core achievements has been building highly sensitive detection systems that can identify and amplify these tiny signals using advanced nanomaterials, sophisticated signal processing, and miniaturized integrated electronics inside the lens.
While our prototypes already detect several clinically relevant biomarkers with promising diagnostic precision, XPANCEO is still calibrating the accuracy to match gold‑standard blood tests. Our goal is to complement traditional tests by adding a non‑invasive, continuous layer of health tracking. Whereas blood tests give snapshots, the lenses offer a constant stream of data revealing trends over time. This can help in spotting early warning signs or subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed, prompting users to seek medical advice sooner.
For the wearer, feedback will be presented through augmented reality overlays, such as discreet hydration reminders or stress alerts. In the future, we plan to implement a system of comprehensive recommendations based on the measurements.
Can you describe a typical user experience scenario with XPANCEO lenses in everyday life? Specifically, how do the lenses enhance everyday activities such as working, exercising, or socializing with augmented reality visuals and hands-free interactions?
RomanAxelrod: Imagine starting your day with no phone to reach for, no smartwatch to strap on — only a pair of smart contact lenses, weightless and invisible until you need them. The moment you put them in, real‑time health stats appear naturally within your view: heart rate, glucose, stress indicators, and personalized wellness suggestions, all tracked without a single manual input.
During your morning workout, carefully designed by dedicated medical AI, the lenses guide you with AR overlays for things like posture correction and progress metrics. They can even transport you to serene virtual environments to lower your stress and enhance your focus. At work, your desk is no longer bound by screens. Interactive windows hover in your field of vision, letting you type with thought commands, share files instantly with colleagues in view, or reference live data feeds without breaking conversation.
When you meet friends for lunch, the lenses discreetly translate speech, identify menu items that match your dietary goals, and settle the bill securely with an iris‑verified glance. Later, while commuting, you overlay navigation arrows directly on the street, browse a clothing store with an avatar trying outfits in real time, or pull up immersive entertainment.
By the evening, whether you’re attending a concert, gaming on the go, or winding down with ambient visuals and personalized playlists, the lenses adapt to any context without requiring you to juggle multiple gadgets. Overall, wearing smart contact lenses makes technology disappear from your life so you can fully focus on living it.
What industries or sectors do you believe will benefit most from XPANCEO technology beyond consumer applications?
RomanAxelrod: The sectors that will benefit the most from smart contact lenses are actually the ones through which we plan to enter the market. Smart contact lenses have various consumer applications, but rushing into the B2C market with a first‑generation device before industries, infrastructure, and content ecosystems are ready is ill-advised. We have already initiated collaborations in several of these sectors to validate applications, gather performance data, and prepare large‑scale deployments.
- AI. Embedding AI into XR environments would allow models to learn dynamically from interactive, real‑world‑like scenarios instead of relying on static datasets. In this immersive setting, AI could develop contextual understanding and intuitive decision‑making that narrow, task‑specific systems currently lack. In turn, this would bring us closer to AI that can truly understand our needs and serve as an omnipresent assistant in everyday life.
- Healthcare. Always‑on biochemical and physiological monitoring will enable early detection, prompt intervention, and personalized care pathways for chronic diseases, stress‑related disorders, and metabolic issues. Hospitals, telemedicine providers, and insurers could dramatically reduce costs and improve outcomes with this continuous, non‑invasive data stream. Moreover, the data can be useful for elite athletes and personalized training schedules.
- Manufacturing. Hands‑free AR instructions and live data overlays would speed up training, reduce error rates, and increase worker safety. Engineers could “see” machine statuses, repair guides, or hazard alerts in their line of sight without carrying separate devices.
- Navigation. Pilots, drivers, and ship operators may benefit from unobtrusive HUD‑style overlays for navigation, hazard detection, and system monitoring, reducing their reliance on bulky dashboards or headsets.
- Emergency response. Real‑time situational awareness could transform operations. This applies equally to firefighting and disaster relief, where every second counts and every detail matters.
What were the biggest technical challenges your team faced in developing smart contact lenses with extended computing capabilities?
Valentyn Volkov: The complexity lies in balancing miniaturization, safety, and functionality. We need a microdisplay that’s bright and clear but fits into a contact lens without introducing discomfort or adding bulk. Data transmission must be both fast and secure while consuming minimal power.
The toughest part is integrating all of these components — the optical systems, sensors, power source, and antennas — into a tiny, soft lens that remains breathable and biocompatible. Every element must perform perfectly without interfering with the others, which demands cutting-edge materials, microfabrication, and system engineering working in harmony.
Looking at the broader industry and technology landscape, how do you see XPANCEO influencing the future of computing?
RomanAxelrod: In the 20th century, a computer was a physical machine at your desk. The 21st century blurred that line. Intelligence moved to the cloud and began to be accessed through phones, laptops, and wearables. Yet we’re still tied to black rectangular screens and clunky intermediaries like keyboards, controllers, and headsets.
At XPANCEO, our vision is to make computing as natural as thought. No app grids, no input devices, just direct interaction with artificial intelligence, the beating heart and brilliant mind at the center of the next generation of computing. Imagine saying “play this song” or “show me this data” and having it happen instantly. This can be done via voice, gesture, gaze — and, eventually, the mind — without touching a screen.
The smart contact lens becomes the physical gateway to AI, merging with your senses to create an ambient, invisible interface. Computing power resides in the lens, connecting to the outside world only when needed to solve your specific tasks, making perception, cognition, and digital capability indistinguishable from the human experience itself. This is what we call AI‑powered XR computing, and we’re building the ultimate interface to unlock its full potential.
XPANCEO recently raised $250 million in Series A funding at a $1.35 billion valuation, marking it as a unicorn. How has this milestone impacted your company’s growth strategy and market positioning?
RomanAxelrod: I wouldn’t say that valuation somehow altered our mission or core positioning. From inception, we set out to build the next generation of computing. The growth strategy to achieve that vision has been in place for years; the funding simply gives us the resources to execute faster and at a greater scale.
Deep‑tech innovation is capital‑intensive. Our R&D laboratory has already required around $10 million, and we anticipate a significantly larger investment over the next few years. We’ve developed working prototypes for most core functions we envision, including image projection, real‑time health monitoring, and wireless powering. The immediate objective is to integrate all these features into a single prototype by the end of 2026. Post‑integration, our focus will shift to getting the smart contact lens medically approved and ready for everyday use in the real world.
What is your long-term vision for how XPANCEO lenses might transform human society beyond technology itself?
RomanAxelrod: My philosophy draws heavily from transhumanism, or the belief that technology should be integrated so seamlessly into our bodies that it becomes part of who we are. The impact of the smart contact lens, in this view, is less like “wearing a device” and more like “upgrading ourselves.” It’s a natural extension of our senses, cognition, and health embedded in our daily existence without friction.
Once perfected, such integration enables possibilities far beyond display overlays or medical monitoring. Imagine radical life extension through continuous, proactive health optimization, where your body’s biochemical shifts are monitored and corrected every step of the way . Imagine enhanced perception that allows you to navigate environments invisible to the unaided eye — from infrared detection to microscopic visualization. Picture a future where human cognition is constantly augmented by cloud‑level AI processing available instantly via your own senses.
On a civilizational scale, this kind of biotech fusion opens paths to becoming a multi‑planetary species. With adaptive vision and health resilience enhanced by embedded technologies, we could thrive in environments far different from Earth’s natural conditions. XPANCEO lenses are one foundational layer in building humans who are optimized for living, working, and exploring anywhere, from the depths of an ocean to the surface of Mars.
What advice do you have for innovators aiming to lead technological revolutions?
RomanAxelrod: If you truly believe in your vision, do what you know is right, even when everyone around you doubts it.
When you’re trying to lead a technological revolution, skepticism is inevitable. You’ll hear “It can’t be done,” “The market isn’t ready,” or “Someone tried that before and failed.” Most people judge by what already exists, not by what’s possible.
The truth is that every transformative technology is “impossible” until someone proves otherwise. If you want to be that someone, you need persistence, resilience, and a willingness to walk a route no one else has mapped.
