Dividend Power Score
A single, comprehensive score designed to measure the true strength of a company’s dividend.
This score combines three essential pillars of dividend quality:
Consistency – Measures how reliable the dividend has been over time, focusing on payment history, stability, and the absence of cuts or suspensions.
Payability – Assesses the company’s financial ability to sustain its dividend, taking into account cash flow, earnings coverage, balance sheet strength, and overall financial health.
Growth – Evaluates the long-term growth of both the dividend and the company’s share price, highlighting businesses that consistently increase payouts while creating shareholder value.
Higher scores identify companies that have historically delivered dependable income alongside sustained dividend growth and long-term capital appreciation.
Company Overview
STAAR Surgical Company is a medical device manufacturer specializing in implantable ophthalmic lenses, primarily serving the refractive surgery and cataract surgery markets. The company operates within the global ophthalmology and medical technology industries, with a core focus on advanced vision correction solutions that reduce or eliminate dependence on glasses or contact lenses.
The company’s primary revenue driver is the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) platform, a proprietary phakic intraocular lens used to correct myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. STAAR is uniquely positioned through its patented Collamer® material, which combines collagen with a copolymer to enhance biocompatibility. Founded in 1982, STAAR initially developed intraocular lenses for cataract surgery and progressively shifted its strategic focus toward refractive vision correction, culminating in the commercialization and global expansion of its ICL technology.
Business Operations
STAAR operates as a single-reportable segment focused on the design, manufacture, and commercialization of implantable lenses. The company generates revenue primarily through the sale of ICL products, including the EVO ICL and EVO Toric ICL, sold directly and through independent distributors to ophthalmic surgeons and surgical centers.
Manufacturing is vertically integrated, with proprietary production processes and quality systems supporting regulatory approvals across multiple jurisdictions. While the company maintains limited physical infrastructure compared to diversified medical device firms, it controls its core intellectual property and production know-how. STAAR does not rely on major joint ventures but works closely with regional distributors and training partners to support surgeon education and market adoption.
Strategic Position & Investments
STAAR’s strategic direction centers on expanding global adoption of the EVO ICL platform as an alternative to laser-based refractive procedures such as LASIK. Growth initiatives emphasize increased surgeon training, clinical data generation, and regulatory approvals to broaden indications and patient eligibility.
The company has not pursued large-scale acquisitions in recent years, instead prioritizing organic growth, internal R&D investment, and incremental product enhancements. Emerging focus areas include next-generation lens designs, expanded refractive indications, and penetration into under-served international markets where myopia prevalence is rising rapidly. Data on any material minority investments or external portfolio companies is inconclusive based on available public sources.
Geographic Footprint
STAAR is headquartered in Lake Forest, California, and operates globally across North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. International markets account for a majority of unit sales, with particularly strong adoption in Japan, China, and other parts of Asia, where refractive surgery demand and regulatory approvals are well established.
The company sells its products in over 75 countries through a mix of direct sales forces and independent distributors. While manufacturing and corporate functions are primarily U.S.-based, STAAR’s commercial influence is heavily international, reflecting its strategy to capture growth in regions with high rates of myopia and expanding middle-class healthcare demand.
Leadership & Governance
STAAR is led by an executive team with extensive experience in medical devices, ophthalmology, and global commercialization. The leadership emphasizes disciplined execution, regulatory compliance, and long-term value creation through innovation in refractive vision correction.
Key executives include:
- Tom Frinzi – President and Chief Executive Officer
- Patrick Williams – Chief Financial Officer
- Arne Obermann – Chief Commercial Officer
- Jason Keil – Chief Operating Officer
- Stephen Farrell – Chief Technology Officer
The leadership team’s strategic vision focuses on expanding the clinical and geographic reach of the ICL platform while maintaining operational efficiency and strong regulatory standing across global markets.