Our investment in The Eye Foundation

• The $75 million investment marks one of the largest single-specialty healthcare investments by private equity in India and Verlinvest’s largest commitment in Indian healthcare. The proceeds of the investment will be used to drive expansion via new greenfield centers and brownfield acquisitions, invest further into customer experience, and increase reach of the chain.

Mumbai, India, October 23, 2025— The Eye Foundation, the leading eye care chain in South India, announced today a ~USD 75 million investment from Verlinvest, one of the preeminent consumer-oriented investment firms in India. This marks one of the largest single-specialty healthcare deals in India. This minority investment signals the growing global interest in specialized, mission-driven health providers and single-specialty healthcare in the country. It further marks one of Verlinvest’s largest single commitments in the Indian healthcare services sector.

Founded and headquartered in Coimbatore, The Eye Foundation operates over 25 hospitals across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The chain is known for its clinical excellence encompassing the entire gamut of eye diseases like cataract, retina, LASIK, glaucoma, ocular trauma and corneal transplants, and treats over one million patients annually through a mix of high-tech tertiary centers and well-equipped secondary centers.

“We are delighted to partner with Verlinvest to help us further expand The Eye Foundation in the coming years. This partnership enables us to bring cutting edge affordable eye care to underserved regions across India. As always, we remain committed to providing clinical excellence and patient-centric eye care to all segments of the society. This partnership will enable us to further grow our offerings and reach while maintaining the same high standards that patients associate with The Eye Foundation,” said Dr Ramamurthy, Chairman of The Eye Foundation.

This investment underscores Verlinvest’s accelerated India strategy, where it aims to grow and double its average annual deployment in the Indian market across healthcare and consumer sectors. The consumer-sector specialist firm has maintained a steady annual deployment in excess of $100 million in the Indian market in recent years, and elevates that allocation meaningfully with this deal – signaling its direction in the coming years. This partnership with The Eye Foundation aligns with Verlinvest’s thesis of backing mission‑driven, category‑defining brands that elevate access and quality in underserved consumer segments; and is built on Verlinvest’s insight into the growing consumerization potential and customer experience excellence in the healthcare sector in India.

“We have formed a strong relationship with Verlinvest over the past year, and are excited to announce our partnership to further grow The Eye Foundation to bring the best quality eye care to more regions across India. We look forward to working closely with the Verlinvest team and leveraging our joint expertise to further strengthen The Eye Foundation.”, said Dr Shreyas Ramamurthy, MD of The Eye Foundation.

“India has already shown strong returns for us to date and we believe it has further scope to consistently outperform most global markets. Growing our India investment footprint with this partnership with The Eye Foundation is a fantastic opportunity for us, as we see enormous potential in building high impact healthcare brands such as The Eye Foundation, which combine clinical excellence with differentiated customer experience.”, said Arjun Anand, Managing Director & Head of Asia, Verlinvest.

Veda Corporate Advisors were the exclusive financial advisors to The Eye Foundation and its promoters.

About The Eye Foundation

The Eye Foundation is one of South India’s top eye specialty hospitals, boasting a legacy of nearly four decades. Founded by Dr Ramamurthy & Dr Chitra Ramamurthy, The Eye Foundation treats millions of patients through its super-specialty network spanning over 25 eye hospitals in multiple cities across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Recognized for pioneering technology in ophthalmology, The Eye Foundation achieved several national firsts: introducing LASIK in 1997, launching bladeless LASIK (IntraLASE), the Constellation vitrectomy system, LensX laser-assisted cataract surgery (the first in Tamil Nadu and Kerala), SMILE refractive surgery, and phakic IOL implantation. All The Eye Foundation hospitals strictly comply with NABH standards, ensuring top-tier quality and patient care. Learn more at www.theeyefoundation.com.

About Verlinvest

Verlinvest is an international, family-backed evergreen investment firm focused on building the next generation of consumer brands. Established in 1995, with offices in Brussels, London, New York, Singapore, and Mumbai, Verlinvest invests across FMCG, health, consumer technology and lifestyle sectors through three strategies: Platform, Growth and Venture (via V3 Ventures). With over €2bn in assets under management, Verlinvest has been active in India since 2010, backing over 25 consumer brands including Blue Tokai, Epigamia, Lahori Zeera, Veeba, Purplle, Ferty9 and Wakefit. Learn more at www.verlinvest.com.