STAAR Surgical Sets the Record Straight Regarding its Robust Go-Shop Process

STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), the global leader in phakic IOLs with the EVO family of Implantable Collamer Lenses (EVO ICL) for vision correction, today issued the following statement to correct misinformation regarding its robust go-shop process to evaluate available alternatives to the pending merger with Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC).

Broadwood Partners, L.P. (“Broadwood”) falsely alleges there was a credible buyer who had a strong interest in acquiring STAAR and that STAAR management attempted to “run the clock” on a go-shop period in order to “ward off this well-established private equity firm.” That is patently false. Broadwood is again twisting facts related to STAAR’s engagement with parties during the go-shop process, and this is just their latest attempt to derail STAAR’s efforts to maximize value for all stockholders. Yunqi Capital (“Yunqi”) has also re-iterated the Broadwood fallacy that there was another “credible buyer,” and suggested that STAAR should address these accusations. STAAR agrees with Yunqi that it is important to set the record straight. The facts are:

• FountainVest, which STAAR believes is the party referenced by Broadwood and Yunqi as the “credible buyer” in their recent public statements, waited until day 21 of the 30-day go-shop period (on November 27, 2025) before reaching out to STAAR. Notably, FountainVest did not previously indicate any interest in acquiring STAAR prior to the signing of the Alcon merger agreement nor during the post-signing “window-shop” period.

• Nevertheless, STAAR’s CEO responded to FountainVest the very next day, day 22 of the go-shop process, and connected them with STAAR’s advisors at Citi.

• On day 23 of the go-shop process, Citi engaged in a discussion with FountainVest and provided it with STAAR’s standard draft nondisclosure agreement (“NDA”). As is customary in a sell-side auction, the draft included a standstill provision.

• The draft NDA that STAAR provided FountainVest was the same form provided to other interested parties during the go-shop process. Of the 21 third parties that were contacted during the go-shop, only two requested and signed an NDA. In each case, changes to the form NDA were requested, including modifications to the standstill provision, which STAAR agreed to, and each of those parties received confidential information and management presentations to facilitate their evaluation of STAAR.

• Despite outreach by Citi, FountainVest did not return a draft of the NDA for 5 days, sending its markup (which, among other things, deleted the standstill provision) shortly before midnight on day 28 of the go-shop process.

• Within 24 hours thereafter, on day 29 of the go-shop process, STAAR responded to FountainVest with a revised NDA that accepted FountainVest’s deletion of the standstill. Despite this, FountainVest declined to execute the NDA.

• The 30-day go-shop period expired at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 6, 2025, and no proposals were received by STAAR.

• Within hours after STAAR announced the expiration of the go-shop, Broadwood issued a press release criticizing the results of the go-shop process and disclosing detailed information regarding STAAR’s process and form of NDA.

Investors should ask: