STAAR SURGICAL CO

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

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the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

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STAAR Surgical Company

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STAAR SURGICAL COMPANY STAAR Surgical Company is disrupting refractive vision correction with our Implantable Collamer® Lenses (ICLs). Our EVO ICL™ lenses are an Evolution in Visual Freedom designed to provide premium refractive outcomes while optimizing patient comfort. STAAR Surgical is Ushering in the Next Generation of Vision Correction with EVO ICLTM 2023 Net Sales $322.4M 2023 Net Income $21.3M Cash, cash equivalents and investments available for sale $232.4M as of December 29, 2023 TOTAL ICLS SOLD… 1M 1999-2Q19 ~20 YEARS 2M 2Q22 ~3 YEARS 3M 1Q24 <2 YEARS 6M 4Q26E VISION 2026 STAAR expects to sell more ICLs in the next three years (2024-2026) than the first 25 years of ICL sales combined. 30+ Year History of Safety and Effectiveness 3 Million+ Lenses Sold 200+ Peer-Reviewed ICL Clinical Papers 99.4% of EVO patients surveyed would choose EVO again* * Patient EVO Visian ICL registry data on file. Strategic Priorities and Growth Initiatives for 2024 Increasing Surgeon Confidence in Measurement of the Eye and Lens Size Selection Increasing -6D to -8D Sales Mix New Product Innovation Growing New and Emerging markets Creating a High-Performance Organization Multi-year track record of profitable growth, aided by strong balance sheet, create a strong foundation for 2024 and beyond.

Dear Fellow Shareholders:

At STAAR, our vision is to be the first choice for doctors and patients seeking visual freedom from the hassles of eyeglasses or contact lenses. We believe that our lens-based vision correction technology will continue to disrupt traditional laser-based refractive procedures, as more and more surgeons and patients seek out the benefits and advantages of our Implantable Collamer® Lenses (ICLs).

In 2023, we delivered another year of global growth and profitability, while continuing to invest in driving consumer awareness of the EVO ICL™. Despite macroeconomic challenges and a global decline in refractive industry procedures in 2023, we grew our net sales in 2023 by 13% to $322.4 million. Our ICL sales were up 18% compared to 2022. Even with significant investments to build a foundation for future growth, including sales and marketing, operations, and manufacturing capacity and capabilities, we generated net income of $21.3 million in 2023, and we ended the year with cash, cash equivalents and investments available for sale of $232.4 million. We believe this positions us well for 2024 and beyond.

We believe that if we execute on our strategic priorities and growth initiatives, we can bring the EVO ICL to more patients globally and create significant shareholder value. The near and long-term market opportunity for EVO ICL is exciting and vast - myopia is a global pandemic with no known cure. In 2024, we intend to focus on the following:

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Increasing Surgeon Confidence in Measurement of the Eye and Lens Size Selection;

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Increasing -6D to -8D Sales Mix;

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New Product Innovation;

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Growing New and Emerging markets; and

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Creating a High-Performance Organization.

In 2024, growing our U.S. business will continue to be a priority for us. We believe our marketing campaigns in 2022 and 2023 increased customer awareness, and as patients seek out EVO ICL as a potential option for vision correction, our ability to educate, train and support surgeons will be critical. This is important not only in the U.S, but also as we look to grow our business in other new and emerging markets worldwide. To that end, we recently established a Department of Global Professional Education and Training under our Chief Medical Officer, which brings together strategic and professional education, clinical training, and commercial training under a single leadership point. That department will more closely align training, education, and commercial activities globally to enhance knowledge and understanding of our ICL technology and its benefits to patients and practices.

We have passionate and dedicated employees at STAAR, and we plan to continue to invest in our organization and our people. We are creating a High-Performance Organization around shared goals and corporate values that emphasize empowerment, high speed of execution, accountability. global mindset, and fun. And as a facts and data-driven organization, we are using voice of customer and voice of employee input to drive better decisionmaking. The STAAR team is embracing what it means to be a High-Performance Organization, and I am excited about what we can achieve together. On behalf of management and Board, I want to thank each of the over 1,000 STAAR employees worldwide for their contributions to our Company’s success in 2023.

And I want to thank each of our shareholders for your continued support. I hope you share in my enthusiasm for EVO ICL and believe in STAAR’s vision. On behalf of the customers that we serve, their patients, and all of my colleagues, I thank you for your investment in STAAR Surgical Company.

Sincerely,

Thomas G. FrinziChair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY

MATERIALS FOR THE STAAR SURGICAL COMPANY 2024 ANNUAL MEETING OF

SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 20, 2024

You can find the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting, the proxy card, and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023 atwww.proxyvote.com. To view materials via the internet, please follow the instructions set forth on the Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials mailed on or about April 24, 2024, to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 22, 2024.

Shareholders of record as the close of business on April 22, 2024 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. Shareholders of record can vote via:

• The Internet atwww.proxyvote.com (and following instructions on the proxy card);

• By calling 1-800-690-6903; or

• By mail if you request a paper copy of the materials, which will include a proxy card (please see the instructions on the Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials).

If you are a beneficial owner who holds shares in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee, you should refer to the instructions provided by the organization that holds your shares.

The Annual Meeting will be held as a live audio webcast via the internet. To be admitted to the Annual Meeting, please visitwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/STAA2024. Online check-in will be available approximately 10 minutes before the meeting starts. If you are a shareholder of record, you will need the 16-digit control number included on your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or on your proxy card. If you are a beneficial owner who holds shares in “street name” through a broker, bank or other nominee and your voting instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials indicates that you may vote those shares through thehttp://www.proxyvote.com website, then you may be admitted using the 16-digit control number included on that instruction form or notice. Otherwise, beneficial owners should contact their broker, bank or other nominee (preferably at least five days before the Annual Meeting) and obtain a “legal proxy” in order to be able to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting. Once admitted to the Annual Meeting, shareholders will be able to submit questions, vote or examine the shareholder list at the Annual Meeting by following the instructions on the Annual Meeting website.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Nathaniel Sisitsky, Esq.

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Lake Forest, California

April 24, 2024

Forward-Looking Statements and Website References

This document contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements are those concerning expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our environmental and other sustainability plans and goals. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance, nor promises that goals or targets will be met. Although we believe that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the risk factors that we identify in our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this proxy statement, and we undertake no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statement that we may make, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law, regulation or other competent legal authority. Website references throughout this document are provided for convenience only, and the content on the referenced websites is not incorporated by reference into this document.