LightForce will use the additional $14 million in venture capital funds to further develop its customizable 3D-Printed Bracket system.
LightForce Orthodontics recently raised a $14 million Series B round led by Tyche Partners with follow-on investment from Matrix Partners and AM Ventures. In a press release, the company stated that in light of the ongoing pandemic, technology that reduces in-person dental visits is crucial not only to patients, but also to the orthodontists and their teams caring for them.
LightForce will use the new funds to further develop its technology and product offerings, as well as to scale operations to meet the recent surge in demand for more efficient dental technologies.
Weiji Yun, managing partner at Tyche Partners, said: “We’re always looking for visionary entrepreneurs utilizing the latest cutting-edge technologies to transform and revolutionize 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 that the industry is primed for a solution that improves the orthodontic experience for patients and doctors alike. We are pleased to partner with such an impressive team of doctors and engineers and contribute to LightForce’s success.”
According to LightForce Orthodontics, its platform enables mass-customization to better treat each individual patient through a highly integrated platform that helps orthodontists determine the best treatment plans and create each patient’s unique bracket system, in a shorter amount of time with fewer appointments.
“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,” says LightForce chief executive officer and co-founder Alfred Griffin III, DMD, PhD, MMSc. “We look forward to growing with our investors, partners and the orthodontic community to provide the best experience and outcomes for our patients.”
LightForce currently offers a variety of products to fit the individual needs of each patient, including:
- LightPlan (Treatment Software by LightForce): With complete control of every aspect of the treatment plan and a simple cloud-based interface for adjustments and approvals, the proprietary LightForce software system empowers the clinician every step of the way.
- Cloud Brackets (Braces by LightForce): LightForce’s Cloud brackets are white, patient-specific 3D-printed ceramic polycrystalline alumina brackets.
- LightTray (Indirect Bonding Trays by LightForce): The LightTray is a patient-specific indirect bonding (IDB) tray 3D printed from a proprietary material. This material is the result of seven 3D algorithms unique to LightForce that are all intended to optimize the clinical user experience and bonding accuracy.
- TurboTrays (Bite Turbos by LightForce): LightForce TurboTrays are 3D printed to aid in the patient’s bite correction.
The LightForce platform has allowed the orthodontic practice of Mazyar Moshiri, DMD, MS, to scale predictably from the initial patient scan to devising a custom treatment plan, while improving outcomes for his patients. “With LightForce’s technology, we are able to offer fully customized, fixed appliances for each individual’s specific needs in order to provide the best treatment option for every patient.”
