A startup that's building braces that go behind your teeth---and shorten the time needed to be worn compared to traditional braces---just won the University of Illinois' annual startup competition.
Mechanodontics won first place and $25,000 at U of I's Cozad New Venture Challenge this week, earning top honors at the school's 20th annual startup competition. In all, $250,000 was awarded this year in cash and prizes to over 60 U of I teams.
Mechanodontics has created a new braces product that goes behind the wearer's teeth. The startup says its method considerably shortens treatment time and is easier to clean than regular braces.
The company plans to initially target adult users in the United States, and expects to bring its product to market in May. It has so far treated around 80 patients. Mechanodontics was co-founded by James Wratten, a University of Illinois mathematics graduate student.
“In its 20th year, the Cozad New Venture Challenge continues to reflect our commitment to creating innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders,” Jed Taylor, executive director of the Technology Entrepreneur Center, said in a statement. “The program’s goal is to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs like our grand prize-winning team Mechanodontics. The startup is working towards revolutionizing the multibillion-dollar orthodontic treatment market in the country."
Dental startups have become an increasingly attractive tech investment in recent years. Smile Direct Club is reportedly preparing for an IPO after raising nearly $400 million in funding. Candid, another teeth straightening startup, has raised $90 million. Other upstarts like Uniform Teeth and Orthly are also trying to disrupt the dental space.
Taking the second place prize at the Cozad New Venture Challenge was HexNest, a startup that's building a safer landing mat for gymnasts. DeepWalk, a startup using computer vision to help cities create ADA-compliant sidewalks, won third place. Fourth place went to Turkbox, a company helping online news organizations with new revenue streams.
