Future Medical Lab (FML), founded by Jacek Szkólski and others, aims to disrupt the contact lens market. Having sold their previous e-commerce contact lens business, they're focusing on wholesale production and distribution, investing in overseas factories initially. Their strategy involves accessing non-traditional retail channels (like Hebe drugstores) and building a Polish factory to improve logistics and reduce lead times.
FML highlights Poland's underdevelopment in the contact lens market, with lower prices compared to Europe and a lack of interest from major players in market expansion. They aim to bridge this gap by investing in faster diagnostics and technologies, potentially developing apps for self-diagnosis and prescription generation, and creating an incubator for medtech startups in Wrocław.
FML plans to build a Polish factory, focusing on Central and Eastern Europe, while relying on existing factories in Italy and Spain for other markets. They also intend to create a medtech incubator in Wrocław to foster innovation in ophthalmology and optics. The company envisions creating a comprehensive app integrating various diagnostic tools, potentially becoming a certified medical device. This integrated approach combined with their plans for a Polish production facility positions FML for significant growth.
Data from GfK shows a substantial growth in Poland's contact lens market, particularly in single-use lenses, which have grown significantly over the past decade. Despite this growth, Poland lags behind other major European economies in terms of market penetration, especially regarding multifocal and toric lenses.