The startup specialized in digital treatments for invisible orthodontics Impress advances in its growth and inorganic expansion plans after closing a hundred-million-euro round in July. The company, founded in Barcelona in 2019, has just announced its entry into the United States with the integration of Uniform Teeth, a Californian chain that has six clinics located in the cities of San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle and another five under construction.
According to Impress, this is "a revolutionary merger" whose objective is "to create the largest global network of orthodontic clinics" based on digitalization. "It is a merger that marks a before and after in the new generation of orthodontics," says the new group, which points out that it will be present in nine countries, in Europe and the US, "the most important and largest global markets for clear aligners, which represent 70% of the total" of this sector. According to Impress, Uniform Teeth shareholders will now hold shares in the new merged company.
Impress, which has launched a factory to produce dental aligners with 3D printers in the Zona Franca, has just raised close to 100 million euros in a financing operation subscribed by venture capital funds LBO France, Norgine Ventures, and Claret Capital Partners, who have joined investors who had already participated in previous rounds such as TA Ventures, Uniqa Ventures, and Nickleby Capital.
The startup, founded in the Catalan capital by orthodontist Khaled Kasem and serial entrepreneurs Diliara and Vladimir Lupenko, has technology and vertical integration as its fundamental pillar of differentiation in the market and currently has more than 130 clinics in 8 countries, including Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
For its part, Uniform Teeth was founded in San Francisco in 2018 by Meghan Jewitt and Dr. Aamodt and also applies advanced technology in its centers that uses AI and 3D printing. Its investors include Canaan Partners, Lerer Hippeau, Slow Ventures, and Refactor Capital. "Partnering with Impress allows us to combine our technological systems into the leading orthodontic platform in the market today. In addition, it will allow us to expand more quickly throughout North America to fully fulfill our mission of providing exceptional, state-of-the-art care to patients," says Meghan Jewitt, CEO and co-founder of Uniform Teeth.
Impress's goal with this operation is to reach a network of more than 50 clinics in the United States by the end of 2023. "Our expansion to America was undoubtedly the next step for Impress, and we are very proud to work with Uniform Teeth. We were looking for a company that shared a similar business vision and company philosophy and values that, above all, extolled aspects such as innovation and personalization," explained Diliara Lupenko, co-founder and COO of Impress.