Richard King Mellon Foundation Awards $515,000 Social Impact Investment to InnSight Technology Following First-Place SII Pitch Competition Win
Foundation backs Pittsburgh company advancing tear fluid diagnostics with the potential to transform diabetes screening
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PITTSBURGH, July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — InnSight Technology, Inc. (“InnSight”), a Pittsburgh-based medical device company developing point-of-care tear fluid diagnostics, today announced it has received a $515,000 Social Impact Investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation after earning first place in the Foundation’s SII Pitch Competition. The investment will accelerate development of InnSight’s proprietary OcuCheck™ technology, supporting engineering, manufacturing, and clinical validation as the company advances toward commercialization.
The Richard King Mellon Foundation’s investment recognizes InnSight’s vision to expand tear fluid diagnostics beyond ophthalmology to improve the early diagnosis and prediction of diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults, underscoring the urgent need for earlier detection of vision-threatening disease. With more than 35 million diabetic eye exams performed each year in the U.S., eye care providers are uniquely positioned to identify at-risk patients earlier in the course of the disease.
OcuCheck has the potential to transform these routine exams into opportunities for earlier diabetes detection through objective tear fluid analysis. This approach could be especially impactful in rural and underserved communities, where people often face barriers to accessing primary care and are less likely to be able to attend regular checkups or follow-up appointments, making eye exams one of the few consistent healthcare touchpoints. By bringing objective tear fluid analysis into routine exams, InnSight aims to help clinicians detect disease sooner, improve patient outcomes, and ultimately reduce the risk of diabetes-related vision loss.
“Winning the Foundation’s Social Impact Investment Pitch Competition is an incredible honor because it underscores not only the innovation behind our technology, but its potential to improve lives,” said Leanne Labriola, CEO of InnSight Technology. “While OcuCheck is initially being developed to improve the diagnosis of dry eye disease, our long-term vision is much broader. We envision a future where routine eye exams can play a much greater role in identifying and predicting diseases like diabetes, helping clinicians intervene earlier and ultimately improve patient outcomes.”
Unlike traditional diagnostic approaches that often require blood draws or specialized testing, OcuCheck is designed to rapidly measure multiple biomarkers from a small tear sample in minutes at the point of care. The technology is the first multiplex electrochemical tear fluid sensor capable of delivering objective, quantitative biomarker measurements during a routine eye examination.
“I moved back to Pittsburgh because it has become one of the country’s most exciting centers for life sciences innovation, and we’re proud to be part of that momentum,” said Labriola. “Support from a globally ranked foundation based in Pittsburgh, like the Richard King Mellon Foundation, is helping turn breakthrough research into technologies that can improve public health and make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives while strengthening Pittsburgh’s position as a leader in healthcare innovation.”
The Richard King Mellon Foundation’s investment in InnSight Technology is made through its Social-Impact Investment Program, through which the Foundation invests in for-profit startups with a social mission aligned with its philanthropic strategy. The Foundation has invested more than $32 million in 78 impact-focused companies.
To learn more about InnSight Technology, visit: https://www.innsightech.com/
About InnSight Technology, Inc.
InnSight Technology is a Pittsburgh-based point-of-care medical device company dedicated to advancing tear fluid analytics for the diagnosis and management of ocular and systemic disease. InnSight’s lead product, the OcuCheck™, is the first multiplex platform technology for tear fluid, enabling quantitative, immediate measurement of tear fluid proteins, including MMP-9 and tear fluid osmolarity in a single non-invasive test. The company’s mission is to provide objective biomarker measurements to improve the diagnosis of dry eye, diabetic eye complications, and systemic disease. For more information, visit www.innsightech.com.
The OcuCheck™ is currently in development and has not yet been cleared by the FDA for commercial sale. It is designed to be the first electrochemical sensor specialized in measuring protein biomarkers from small fluid volumes. If cleared, the OcuCheck would be the only device capable of simultaneously quantifying MMP-9 and tear fluid osmolarity in a single, non-invasive test — providing results within minutes at the point of care.
About the Richard King Mellon Foundation
Founded in 1947, the Richard King Mellon Foundation is the largest foundation in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and one of the 50 largest in the world. The Foundation’s 2025 year-end net assets were $3.3 billion, and its Trustees in 2025 disbursed more than $167 million in grants and program-related investments. The Foundation focuses its funding on six primary program areas, delineated in its 2021-2030 Strategic Plan.
Media Contact
Jack Hayes
Marketbridge for Innsight Technology
RKMF@marketbridge.com
