TEJ-KOHLI-FOUNDATION
On World Sight Day, the Tej Kohli Foundation says that a focus on new technologies is needed to accelerate the global mission to end curable corneal blindness worldwide. The Foundation is currently funding the clinical trials and development of a ‘liquid biosynthetic’ solution that could offer an accessible, scalable and affordable solution to corneal blindness that would be relevant to many of the 12 million people worldwide who suffer from this type of blindness.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191009005535/en/
The thesis of the Tej Kohli Foundation is that humanitarian efforts the world over will be greatly advanced by exponential growth technologies such as AI, robotics and genomics. The Foundation behaves like a venture fund by backing, incubating, acquiring and accelerating the development of technology solutions. Only successful projects secure further funding support, leaving the Foundation agile to back the projects that will have the greatest impact.
Blindness is heavily impacted by poverty. According to the WHO, 14 million of the 39 million people who are blind live in India. 12.7 million people are currently waiting for a cornea transplant, including 6 million in India. The Tej Kohli Foundation’s ‘Cornea Institute’ at the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad already conducts thousands of corneal transplants every year using donor cornea, largely for free. The Foundation recently cured five brothers and sisters in the same family from Rajasthan who had all been suffering with long-term visual impairment.
But the limited supply of donor cornea and the need for invasive surgery means that worldwide less than 1 in 70 will receive a cornea transplant each year. Artificial cornea or keratoprotheses are expensive and can cost up to US$20,000. The Tej Kohli Foundation is backing the development of technological solutions, because ending corneal blindness will require an affordable, accessible and scalable solution that does not rely on transplantation.
The Tej Kohli Foundation previously backed methods of synthesising artificial cornea from yeast and peptides, but new advances mean it has switched this funding to the development of the liquid biosynthetic, which aims to work by causing the regeneration of corneal tissue. The pro-regeneration tissue replacement could avoid the need for expensive corneal grafting and be applied in less than thirty minutes to fill a perforation or to repair a corneal ulcer.
In July 2018 the Tej Kohli Foundation also made a $2m gift to Massachusetts Ear and Eye, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, to fund innovation in research into nano-string and DNA-sequencing technologies for early diagnostics and prevention, as well as ‘GelCORE,’ an adhesive biomaterial for replacing corneal tissue.
Michael Macfarlane, spokesperson for the Tej Kohli Foundation:
“There are limits to the number of corneal transplants that can take place each year, especially in poor and remote rural areas. The Tej Kohli Foundation is a global focal point for scientists and others who are developing pioneering treatments in this field. Our mission is to work with a range of partners in our goal to eliminate corneal blindness by 2035.”
Tej Kohli, co-Founder of the Tej Kohli Foundation:
“Eliminating corneal blindness is what I am most passionate about. I favour a venture-led approach to philanthropy whereby we bring people together and provide the funding to accelerate the development of solutions that might bring us a step closer to ending corneal blindness. The way that we run our Foundation is directly aligned with how we manage our commercial ventures and investments, and this approach means we can drive greater progress from every pound or dollar or rupee that we spend on achieving our mission.”
Find out more about the Tej Kohli Foundation at: http://www.tejkohlifoundation.com
A video about a family of five siblings having their long-term visual impairment cured by the Tej Kohli Foundation is available to embed using this link: https://youtu.be/Pmcb9pRxOSs
A video interview with Wendy and Tej Kohli in which they talk about the work of the Tej Kohli Foundation is available to embed using this link: https://youtu.be/JgOO4Cs-jnw
A video about the Tej Kohli Cornea Program is available to embed using this link: https://youtu.be/2zUBtj6H7GM
A video about the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute is available to embed using this link: https://youtu.be/lkZmI8lkpm8
About The Tej Kohli Foundation
The Tej Kohli Foundation was launched by Wendy and Tej Kohli in 2005 as a focal point for their global philanthropic endeavours. The Foundation includes:
- Cornea Institute: which since 2016 has seen more than 180,000 outpatients and carried out 17,000+ cornea replacement surgeries, largely for free.
- Cornea Program: which funds innovation in research to cure corneal blindness at Mass. Eye and Ear, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
- Applied Research: which is engaged in the acquisition and development of new technologies that have the potential to substantially reduce corneal blindness globally.
- Impact Initiatives: which supports projects in underserved communities where direct interventions can have a sustained and positive impact upon individual lives.
http://www.tejkohlifoundation.com
About Tej Kohli
Tej Kohli is a London-based investor and entrepreneur with a well-publicized mission to cure corneal blindness worldwide by 2035. He first rose to success during the dotcom boom selling technology solutions and e-commerce payments software before becoming a real estate investor in technology hubs. He now focuses on high-impact investments into AI, robotics, biotech and genomics ventures. Tej Kohli is a Distinguished Alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (IITK) where he completed a degree in Electrical Engineering.
END
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191009005535/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
SCENTMATIC's AI "KAORIUM" Debuts at THAMEEN Fragrance Launch in London's Selfridges4.7.2025 11:13:00 CEST | Press release
SCENTMATIC Inc., a leader in scent digitalization, introduced its AI-powered scent-to-language system, KAORIUM, at the THAMEEN Fragrance new product launch event. This pivotal event took place from June 5 to 11, 2025, at Selfridges department store in London, UK. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703662207/en/ State of exhibition Global Expansion: KAORIUM Establishes UK Presence Europe leads the global fragrance market, with the UK projected to reach US$2.82 billion by 2033. Recognizing this, SCENTMATIC is rapidly expanding its international footprint. In May 2024, SCENTMATIC established its overseas subsidiary, KAORIUM, in London, appointing industry expert Ben Yanoushek as CEO. Official UK operations commenced on February 1, 2025, with the launch of its dedicated website: www.kaorium.com. KAORIUM Trialed at "Florentine Diamond" Launch Event The "Florentine Diamond" launch event for luxury brand THAMEEN Frag
Andersen Consulting samarbejder med Mercurial Minds om at forbedre mulighederne inden for digital transformation4.7.2025 01:10:00 CEST | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting udvider sit udbud af teknologidrevne løsninger med tilføjelsen af samarbejdsfirmaet Mercurial Minds (M.M.), et konsulentfirma inden for digital transformation, AI og IT med base i Pakistan. M.M. blev grundlagt i 2013 og tilbyder en række tjenester, der er designet til at hjælpe organisationer med at udvikle sig og skalere, herunder i forbindelse med deres digitale transformationsstrategi, AI-tjenester, it-rådgivning og udvikling af robuste mobil- og webbrugeroplevelser. Firmaet leverer end-to-end-løsninger – udformning af datadrevne køreplaner, udvikling af intelligent automatisering og levering af sikre mobil- og weboplevelser, der kan skaleres – skræddersyet til virksomheder, der ønsker at forbedre sine forbindelsesmulighederne og opnå indsigter i realtid. M.M. betjener en bred vifte af brancher med fokus på finans, telekommunikation og andre dataintensive sektorer. "Dette samarbejde er en katalysator," siger Nabeel Saiyer, administrerende direktør for M.M. "Vores
Global Tourism Surging Ahead of Economic Growth, With Visits to Hit 30 Billion by 20344.7.2025 01:00:00 CEST | Press release
The World Economic Forum report, in collaboration with Kearney and the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, predicts a significant uptick in tourist trips across the globeThe tourism sector will contribute $16 trillion to global GDP (more than 11% of the global economy) by 2034, according to World Travel & Tourism Council estimates (WTTC)India and China will be responsible for more than 25% of all outbound travel by 2030 The World Economic Forum has today published a new report forecasting that the travel and tourism industry is projected to serve 30 billion tourist trips by 2034. Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth, produced in collaboration with Kearney and the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, reveals a projected $16 trillion contribution to global GDP by the same year—representing more than 11% of the total world economy, according to World Travel & Tourism Council estimates. The report also found that the sector is expanding 1.5 times faster th
The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition Honouring Leading Pet and Animal Brands Globally3.7.2025 21:00:00 CEST | Press release
The 2025-2026 World Branding Awards Animalis Edition marked its fifth instalment, bringing together leading pet and animal brands from all around the world. These brands were celebrated for their outstanding achievements, earning recognition as National, Regional, and Global Winners. The awards ceremony, held at Vienna's prestigious Hofburg Palace, welcomed winners across diverse categories, including pet food, retail, wellness, pet exhibitions, and aquatic products. Mounia Berrada-Gouzi expertly hosted the evening, which culminated in a grand celebration of brand excellence. “The Animalis Edition of the World Branding Awards recognises brands that have achieved the highest distinction—genuine recognition in the hearts and minds of consumers. Tonight, we honour those whose names resonate globally, whose values inspire loyalty, and whose presence defines excellence in the pet and animal industry,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum. Out of over 950 brands nominate
Venture Global Announces 20-Year Sales and Purchase Agreement with PETRONAS3.7.2025 14:59:00 CEST | Press release
Today, Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced the execution of a new 20-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with PETRONAS LNG Ltd. (PLL), a subsidiary of the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas company, PETRONAS. Under the terms of the SPA, PETRONAS will purchase 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Venture Global’s third facility, CP2 LNG, for 20 years. This builds upon Venture Global’s existing agreement with PETRONAS for 1 MTPA of LNG supply from Plaquemines LNG. PETRONAS, a world-class partner in the LNG industry, joins other CP2 LNG customers in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world in a strategically important project to global energy supply and security. To date, approximately 10.75 MTPA of the 14.4 MTPA nameplate capacity for CP2 Phase One has been sold. About Venture Global Venture Global is a long-term, low-cost provider of U.S. LNG sourced from resource rich North American natural gas basins. Venture Global’s business includes assets ac
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom