Every five seconds, according to the World Health Organization, a person loses their sight, and within every minute, a child joins those statistics. Adam Robo stands as a pioneering Health Tech startup in the realm of ophthalmology, dedicated to the global mission of preventing and combating blindness. This noble cause is fortified by three fundamental principles: Technological Innovation, User-Friendly Simplicity, and Universal Accessibility.
Juliano Santos, the visionary founder of Adam Robo, shares a personal journey akin to any child navigating through life’s adversities. At the tender age of 5, he faced the emotional turmoil of his parents’ separation, an experience that left an indelible mark. It was during this challenging time that his grandfather, Adam, inspired him to channel his creativity into crafting toys for himself. This pivotal moment ignited a spark in the young mind and heart of Juliano, fostering a deep-seated commitment to make a positive impact on the lives of others.
Fast forward to the age of 38, and the fruition of this commitment resulted in the establishment of Adam Robo. In a touching homage to his grandfather, Juliano bestowed the name “Adam” upon a groundbreaking technology poised to revolutionize global vision. This technology represents more than just an invention; it embodies a visual health device with a mission that resonates globally—”to prevent and combat avoidable blindness, ushering in a transformative era in the lives of people worldwide.
With the support of Worktiba in Curitiba (the first municipal coworking space in Brazil), at the first class of the Pinhão Valley (Curitiba’s technological movement that nurturing an ecosystem for inventive startup solutions) secured its first space of work in 2017. Followed by an incubation at FIEP in 2018. Nowadays, they have now established their own headquarters. Juliano has also been honored with the title of “Comendador da Luz dos Pinhais” in recognition of his contributions.
The Adam Robo is a cutting-edge device designed for innovative vision tests, employing a primary visual screening to identify levels of difficulty and discomfort for the user. A substantial portion of the global population has never consulted with a doctor and remains unaware of their visual impairments. Beyond conducting screenings and raising awareness to prevent blindness, Adam guides individuals to consult with their ophthalmologists.
Utilizing the concept of Big Data stored in the cloud, the Adam Robo facilitates studies and statistical analyses on population-wide visual difficulties. With its dedicated manufacturing facility, it offers a range of models (Adam Robo Digital, Adam Robo A1, Adam Robo Junior, Adam Robo 4.0, and Adam Robo Mobi). These models cater to services in optical shops, ophthalmic clinics, medical offices, and specialist facilities, reaching into occupational health clinics, educational institutions, government agencies, municipalities, public entities, non-governmental organizations, social initiatives, campaigns, companies, industries, events, global agencies, schools, daycares, traffic departments, transit authorities, insurance companies, transportation companies, mobility apps, social actions, occupational health clinics, among others. This comprehensive approach empowers us to effectively prevent and combat blindness.
The degree of technological sophistication in the Adam Robo is progressing and, in line with its commitment to universal accessibility, continue to keep the user-friendly simplicity. Adam Robo also collects a range of information about the patience health, not limiting the solution to visual health but encompassing overall well-being.
The Adam Robo has successfully reached all regions of Brazil. Dealing with the challenges posed by the COVID lockdown, when individuals were confined to their homes, Juliano took a significant milestone by launching the Adam Robo Digital for free. Since then, the solution has been made available in over 120 languages and has extended its impact to over 96 countries. With a relentless expansion effort, the Adam Robo is on the verge of conducting two million tests worldwide. This achievement is attributed to its hybrid 2-in-1 technological approach, being entirely digital while also incorporating hardware components.
In 2023, the Juliano Santos Association was founded, dedicating 1% of sales to support the November Cristal movement, a national initiative focused on preventing blindness. Through this commitment, they conduct near by 10 thousand tests each year in schools and organizations, strengthening vision care. This initiative is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 03, which strives to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all ages.
Adam Robo proudly represented Brazil at the Imagine Cup, reaching to the semifinals in Seattle (USA), and had also made an excellent pitch on Shark Tank Brasil, securing deals with three prominent “sharks.” They have also won the Brazil Design Award twice, among other recognitions showcased on their website adamrobo.com.br.
Their dream extend to making an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records by conducting 1 million vision tests in a single day and keep on working to, ultimately, achieving the prestigious Nobel Prize.
