Barti, a healthtech startup specializing in software for eye care practices, has successfully raised $12,000,000 in Series A funding. The round was led by Five Elms Capital and AOAExcel, signaling strong investor confidence in the company’s mission to modernize eye care management and improve both patient and provider experiences.

Founded by Colton Calandrelli, Barti is building an AI-powered platform that empowers optometrists and ophthalmologists to spend more time with patients and less time clicking through administrative tasks. With this funding, Barti plans to scale its platform, expand into new markets, and bring much-needed efficiency to one of healthcare’s most underserved specialties.

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The Product: AI for Smarter Eye Care

Eye care practices often struggle with inefficient workflows, repetitive administrative burdens, and outdated software systems. Barti addresses these challenges by delivering AI-powered practice management software designed specifically for eye care.

The platform enables practices to:

• Automate routine workflows, cutting down on administrative time.
  
• Enhance scheduling and billing systems, reducing errors and delays.
  
• Streamline electronic health records (EHR) with eye care-specific functionality.
  
• Provide real-time data insights, helping practices optimize performance.
  

The goal is simple: allow providers to focus on patient care rather than paperwork. By making operations seamless, Barti not only boosts efficiency but also enhances the patient experience, a key differentiator in today’s healthcare market.

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Why This Matters Now

The eye care industry is both vast and underserved by modern technology. With more than 44 million eye exams conducted annually in the U.S. alone, practices face mounting administrative strain while demand continues to rise. The inefficiencies are massive—healthcare providers in the U.S. collectively spend over $250 billion a year on administrative work, much of which could be eliminated through automation.

At the same time, the global ophthalmology market is projected to hit $58 billion by 2030, driven by an aging population and growing demand for preventative eye care. The practices that thrive will be those that reduce friction and deliver smoother patient experiences.

This is where Barti’s focus becomes a lesson for founders. The company isn’t trying to be another generic healthcare SaaS—it’s embedding deeply into a vertical where the pain is sharp, the workflows are unique, and the stakes are high. And here’s the ultra value drop: founders often overestimate the value of breadth and underestimate the power of depth. Barti shows that you don’t need to serve every corner of healthcare to build a billion-dollar business—you need to own one corner so completely that switching away is unthinkable. Once your software becomes the invisible infrastructure of an industry, competitors can copy features, but they can’t copy dependence. For any founder, that’s the holy grail: build something so tuned to your users’ daily grind that your product isn’t just a choice—it’s the oxygen of the workflow.

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Industry Outlook: The Digital Shift in Eye Care

The digital transformation of healthcare has been slower in eye care compared to other fields, but momentum is building. Key trends include:

• EHR Adoption: By 2027, more than 85% of specialty practices are expected to adopt digital health record solutions tailored to their fields.
  
• AI in Healthcare: The global healthcare AI market is projected to grow at 37% CAGR, with clinical workflow automation as a key driver.
  
• Patient Experience as Differentiator: Studies show that 72% of patients switch providers due to poor experience, highlighting the importance of seamless care.
  
• Telehealth Expansion: Eye care practices are increasingly adopting telehealth to reach patients in rural or underserved regions, requiring integrated software solutions.
  

Barti sits at the center of these forces—offering AI-driven efficiency while helping practices elevate the patient journey.

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The Investor Edge

The participation of Five Elms Capital and AOAExcel highlights investor recognition of Barti’s strong market fit.

• Five Elms Capital: Known for scaling B2B SaaS companies, it provides not only funding but also operational expertise for global growth.
  
• AOAExcel: As a strategic partner closely tied to the American Optometric Association, it offers Barti unmatched industry connections and credibility.
  

This combination of financial muscle and industry alignment provides Barti with both the runway and relationships to accelerate adoption.

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What’s Next for Barti

With $12 million secured, Barti plans to:

• Expand its AI capabilities, further automating workflows and enhancing predictive analytics.
  
• Grow its customer base among independent eye care practices and large ophthalmology networks.
  
• Strengthen integrations with insurers, labs, and digital health ecosystems.
  
• Hire top talent across engineering, customer success, and sales to support growth.
  

The next 12–18 months will be pivotal as Barti works to establish itself as the default software layer for eye care practices.

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Final Thoughts

Barti’s $12 million Series A raise is more than just another funding announcement—it’s a signal that specialized vertical SaaS is rewriting the rules of healthcare technology. By targeting eye care with laser focus, Barti is proving that solving for niche pain points can unlock massive opportunities.

For the broader startup ecosystem, the lesson is simple: depth beats breadth. Companies that understand and own the unique workflows of an industry often grow faster, retain customers longer, and create defensible moats that generalist platforms can’t match.