STAAR SURGICAL (STAA) Company Report

STAAR Surgical Company appointed Warren Foust and Deborah Andrews as interim co-Chief Executive Officers, effective February 1, 2026, following the departure of Stephen C. Farrell.
Mr. Foust, previously President and Chief Operating Officer, and Ms. Andrews, Chief Financial Officer, will continue in their current roles while leading the company's day-to-day operations.
A global search for a new Chief Executive Officer has been initiated by a Search Committee.
For their service as interim co-CEOs, both Mr. Foust and Ms. Andrews received an equity award of restricted stock units (RSUs) with a grant date fair value of $375,000 each, vesting on August 1, 2026.

3 days ago

8-K

STAAR Surgical Appoints Interim Co-CEOs

STAA

CEO Change

Management Change

Hiring

STAAR Surgical Company has appointed Warren Foust and Deborah Andrews as interim co-Chief Executive Officers, effective February 1, 2026.
Mr. Foust previously held the role of President and Chief Operating Officer, and Ms. Andrews served as Chief Financial Officer.
The Board of Directors has initiated a global search for a new CEO, considering both internal and external candidates.

3 days ago

Press Release

STAAR Surgical Enters Cooperation Agreement with Broadwood Partners, Announces Board and CEO Changes

STAA

Board Change

CEO Change

Delisting/Listing Issues

STAAR Surgical Company entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Broadwood Partners, L.P. on January 14, 2026, which led to significant changes in its board and management.
As a result, Neal C. Bradsher and Richard T. LeBuhn of Broadwood, and Christopher Wang of Yunqi Capital, immediately joined STAAR's Board of Directors, expanding the board from six to seven members.
STAAR Chair Elizabeth Yeu and CEO Stephen Farrell stepped down from the Board, with Mr. Farrell continuing as CEO until January 31, 2026.
The company agreed to reimburse Broadwood up to $6 million and Yunqi Capital up to $1 million for expenses incurred in connection with their engagement.
Due to Dr. Yeu's resignation, STAAR is currently non-compliant with NASDAQ's audit committee requirements but intends to use the provided cure period to regain compliance.

Jan 15, 2026, 2:22 PM

8-K

STAAR Surgical Enters Cooperation Agreement with Broadwood Partners

STAA

Board Change

STAAR Surgical Company has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Broadwood Partners, L.P. and its affiliates.
Broadwood Partners and its affiliates collectively own 31% of STAAR's outstanding common stock.
The agreement involves Neal C. Bradsher and Richard T. LeBuhn of Broadwood, and Christopher Wang of Yunqi Capital, which owns 6.5% of STAAR's stock.

Jan 15, 2026, 1:44 PM

Press Release

STAAR Surgical Announces Board Changes Following Cooperation Agreement

STAA

Board Change

CEO Change

STAAR Surgical and Broadwood Partners have entered into a cooperation agreement, leading to significant changes on STAAR's Board of Directors.
Neal Bradsher and Richard LeBuhn of Broadwood Partners, along with Christopher Wang of Yunqi Capital, have joined STAAR's Board, which has expanded from six to seven members.
Elizabeth Yeu, STAAR's Chair, and Stephen Farrell, CEO, have stepped down from the Board, though Mr. Farrell will continue as CEO until January 31, 2026.
Broadwood Partners, the Company's largest shareholder, owns 31% of STAAR's outstanding common stock, while Yunqi Capital owns 6.5%.

Jan 15, 2026, 1:30 PM

Press Release

STAAR Surgical Terminates Merger Agreement with Alcon

STAA

M&A

Proxy Vote Outcomes

STAAR Surgical is terminating its merger agreement with Swiss eyecare giant Alcon after preliminary vote counts indicated a failure to secure sufficient shareholder approval, resulting in STAAR shares falling 15-17%.
The deal's termination carries no financial consequences or termination fee for either party.
Broadwood Partners, STAAR’s largest shareholder, was a vocal opponent of the acquisition, contributing to the deal's failure.
STAAR plans to operate as a standalone company, focusing on driving adoption of its EVO implantable Collamer lens technology.

Jan 6, 2026, 2:06 PM

Morningstar

STAAR Surgical Stockholders Reject Alcon Merger Agreement

STAA

M&A

Proxy Vote Outcomes

STAAR Surgical Company announced on January 6, 2026, that stockholders did not approve the merger agreement with Alcon at a Special Meeting.
As a result, STAAR intends to terminate the merger agreement with Alcon, with no termination fee payable by either party.
STAAR will remain a standalone, publicly traded company and continue to trade on Nasdaq under its current ticker symbol "STAA".
CEO Stephen Farrell stated the company's commitment to maximizing stockholder value and realizing its full potential as a standalone entity.

Jan 6, 2026, 2:01 PM

8-K

STAAR Surgical: Defender Capital Reiterates Vote Against Alcon Acquisition

STAA

M&A

Takeover Bid

Proxy Vote Outcomes

Defender Capital, a 1.5% shareholder of STAAR Surgical (STAA), has reiterated its intention to vote AGAINST the proposed sale of STAAR to Alcon Inc. (ALC).
The firm believes the acquisition is at the wrong time and price, arguing it does not reflect STAAR's long-term potential or adequate value for shareholders, especially given recent business stabilization and major shareholder support for an independent STAAR.
Defender Capital also criticized the deal's process as flawed, noting that Glass Lewis recommended against it and ISS called it "deeply flawed," with no new bids emerging after the process was reopened.
The shareholder vote on the transaction is scheduled for December 19.

Dec 17, 2025, 9:53 PM

Press Release

STAAR Surgical's Amended Alcon Merger Agreement Receives Analyst and ISS Support

STAA

M&A

Proxy Vote Outcomes

Takeover Bid

STAAR Surgical's amended merger agreement with Alcon provides stockholders with $30.75 per share in cash, representing a 74% premium to STAAR's 90-day Volume Weighted Average Price as of August 4, 2025.
Independent industry analysts, including BTIG, Canaccord Genuity, Mizuho, and Needham, have recognized the value of the amended Alcon merger agreement, with Mizuho noting the ~4.5x proposed exit multiple as sufficiently fair.
Independent proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has updated its report to recommend that STAAR stockholders vote "FOR" the Alcon transaction.
The STAAR Board of Directors also recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the Alcon merger at the virtual Special Meeting scheduled for December 19, 2025, with the record date for voting being October 24, 2025.

Dec 16, 2025, 2:12 PM

Press Release

STAAR Surgical's Go-Shop Period Expires Amidst Shareholder Opposition to Alcon Merger

STAA

M&A

Proxy Vote Outcomes

Takeover Bid

STAAR Surgical Company's go-shop period, related to its amended merger agreement with Alcon Inc., expired on December 6, 2025, with no alternative proposals received.
Alcon Inc. announced an amended merger agreement to acquire STAAR Surgical.
Yunqi Capital noted Alcon's revised offer to acquire STAAR Surgical for $30.75 per share.
Broadwood Partners and proxy advisory firm Egan-Jones have reaffirmed their recommendation for shareholders to vote "AGAINST" the proposed acquisition by Alcon. STAAR Surgical has issued a statement to correct misinformation from Broadwood Partners regarding its go-shop process.