LightForce Orthodontics to further develop 3D printed teeth brackets product range after $14m investment
LightForce Orthodontics, a company using 3D printing to produce customisable teeth brackets, has secured $14m in investment from Tyche Partners, Matrix Partners and AM Ventures.
The Boston-based firm will harness the funding, secured in a Series B round, to further develop its 3D printing-enabled orthodontics product range and scale its operations to meet a growing demand.
LightForce’s product offering is said to reduce the number of adjustment visits needed, and in turn the frequency with which patient and orthodontist meet in person, which has proved popular during the pandemic. Among its portfolio, LightForce offers the Cloud Brackets, which are additively manufactured in a white ceramic polycrystalline alumina; LightTray, a patient-specific, 3D printed indirect bonding tray which is produced with a proprietary material and sees its bonding accuracy optimised with a set of unique algorithms; and TurboTrays, which have also been 3D printed and aid in the patient’s bite correction. Underpinning these products is the LightPlan software, which supports the clinician through every step of the treatment process.
Each treatment plan is tailored specifically to the patient, with scans and requirements conducted and outlined by an orthodontist, before handing over to LightForce. The brackets and trays are then produced by LightForce and sent back to the orthodontist for them to bond them to the patient’s teeth.
LightForce believes this treatment process provides patients with better care, elevating the standard in precision and strength of orthodontic appliances and, thanks to its ceramic material, also offering new aesthetic options. As the company prepares to push on with the product range’s development, it has procured investment from three firms in Tyche Partners (Desktop Metal, Formlabs), Matrix Partners (Markforged) and AM Ventures (3YOURMIND, DyeMansion) that have already backed other 3D printing endeavours.
“Braces haven’t changed in fifty years and are by far the most common treatment tool; aligners are esthetic and patient-specific, but because of a lack of patient compliance and biomechanical limitations, they can only serve a small fraction of our patients. These limitations are why we applied modern 3D software and brought mass-customisation to orthodontics,” commented LightForce CEO and co-founder Dr. Alfred Griffin III, DMD, PhD, MMSc. “LightForce provides shorter treatment times, fewer appointments and an overall more efficient experience for patients and doctors. In the last year, we have seen our business double every quarter and that tells me that LightForce has pinpointed a true need within the orthodontic space. We look forward to growing with our investors, partners and the orthodontic community to provide the best experience and outcomes for our patients.”
“We’re always looking for visionary entrepreneurs utilising the latest cutting-edge technologies to transform and revolutionise industries. Alfred and Lou’s inspirational vision offered us an opportunity to expand our 3D printing investment portfolio and the company’s rapid growth is proof the industry is primed for a solution that improves the orthodontic experience for patients and doctors alike,” added Weiji Yun, Managing Partner at Tyche Partners. “We are pleased to partner with such an impressive team of doctors and engineers and contribute to LightForce’s success.”
