• LightForce

  Participated · Series D · Aug 2023

  LightForce develops the world’s first fully personalized 3D-printed braces system and specializes in 3D-printed dental brackets for orthodontists. The company offers a comprehensive braces solution intended to improve treatment efficiency and clinical aesthetics. LightForce uses AI to generate accurate digital representations of patient anatomy and optimal tooth positions. Its product aims to enable orthodontists to provide personalized solutions for individual patients. The company announced a $50 million growth-capital commitment to support continued expansion. Leadership says the financing will help drive growth and broaden access to personalized braces solutions. LightForce offers a comprehensive braces solution centered on fully personalized, 3D‑printed brackets manufactured to a digital treatment plan and supported by end-to-end software. Its platform spans intraoral and CBCT support through to final prescription and incorporates AI to generate accurate digital representations of patient anatomy and optimal tooth positions. A peer‑reviewed Journal of Clinical Orthodontics study cited in the articles found LightForce cases finished 45% faster with 41% fewer scheduled appointments than conventional bracket cases. The company plans to scale production with a new 36,000‑square‑foot manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Massachusetts, and to expand its engineering and scientific teams. LightForce will also invest the new capital to advance AI in its workflows and to build clinical education resources to help orthodontists adopt fully digital, personalized treatments. The company launched commercial operations in 2020 and is positioning its technology to shorten treatment times and improve patient outcomes while shifting the industry away from one‑size‑fits‑all braces.

• KLOWEN Braces

  Participated · Series A · May 2022

  KLOwen Braces builds the Stride Custom Braces system, a 7–7 fully individualized braces solution that leverages 3D printing, artificial intelligence and digital indirect bonding. The product to date has featured metal brackets and the company plans to premiere a new 3D‑printed clear brackets solution at the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session in Miami Beach, May 21–24, 2022. KLOwen says Stride reduces months of treatment, the number of office visits, chair time and patient discomfort versus traditional braces. The company reports that orthodontists using Stride typically double both their capacity and net profit per hour without adding staff or clinic hours. The article notes fixed‑appliance patients still represent nearly 70% of all orthodontics cases. KLOwen was founded in 2019 by Dr. Brandon Owen and is based in Austin, Texas; its Stride Custom Braces are patented. KLOwen Braces, founded by Dr. Brandon Owen in 2019 and based in Fort Collins, Colo., develops the KLOwen Custom Braces System, the world’s first in-office, same-day custom braces solution using prefabricated, modular brackets. The system leverages advanced software, 3D printing, a kit of 27 custom-shaped brackets and 3D-printed indirect bonding (IDB) trays to place and bond brackets precisely as approved in the software. It is designed to work on any orthodontic case, including those requiring functional appliances, expansion or surgery, with the goal of increasing doctor efficiency and reducing patient discomfort and treatment time. The company holds seven patents with 20 more patents pending. KLOwen positions its offering to enhance efficiency and profitability for orthodontists at a price point stated to be well below other custom solutions. The company recently received a $50,000 investment from the American Association of Orthodontists, and AAO leadership will take a board seat to help advance adoption and product development.

No current team members are available.