Investors are putting 6.1 million euros into Novenda Technologies. The Dutch company aims to use the investment to accelerate its growth.
Nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide struggle with oral diseases. Novenda Technologies aims to transform the dental prosthetics market. In doing so, it is betting on producing better, more aesthetic, accessible and affordable dentures using 3D printing technology. A feature of Novenda's technology is its ability to incorporate multiple materials in a single print. This allows the company to combine hard materials that provide sufficient protection with soft materials for comfort.
No assembly or post-processing
The process makes it possible to produce dental products in one print run. A key advantage here is that post-production machining is not required after the printing process. Many traditional manufacturing methods require manual assembly and post-processing. Thanks to the printing process, this is not necessary. Among other things, Novenda uses water-soluble supports, which can easily be dissolved with tap water.
Klaas Wiertzema, CEO and co-founder of Novenda Technologies, says: "The combination of water-soluble supports and the absence of mechanical interventions to compensate for inaccuracies ensures unparalleled long-term precision and eliminates the need for extensive post-processing. This is particularly important in a world where dental technicians are increasingly scarce and expensive."
Team of fifteen experts
Novenda Technologies was founded in 2019 by Wiertzema, Petra Doelman and Joost Anne Veerman. The company's first 3D printer was installed at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven in 2021. Here, the company realised its first print constructed from multiple materials. In doing so, it used proprietary software and materials. Novenda then presented its proof of concept for bits and dentures in 2023. The company has a team of 15 experts in physics, chemistry, materials science and software engineering.
So the company is now raising EUR 6.1 million from investors. The investment round has been led by Brightlands Venture Partners. KBC Focus Fund (Belgium), Borski Fund (Netherlands), Limburg Business Development Fund/LIOF (Netherlands), a group of angel investors, and the RVO (via an innovation loan) are also putting money into Novenda Technologies.
Colour management algorithm
Novenda's LD100 printer uses colour management algorithm, which offers unlimited colour possibilities using a few basic colours. The LD100 exclusively uses Novenda's own materials, which the company aims to use to ensure the quality and biocompatibility of the materials. The printer can print up to four materials simultaneously.
With the printer, Novenda aims to speed up the production of dental products so that patients have their dentures or teeth faster. The system can produce up to 15 bites and eight dentures per hour, making it suitable for medium and large dental labs. The 3D printer can also produce continuously, without people having to be present at the printer.
Shift in dental industry
Novanda points to a shift in the dental industry. In doing so, the workflow for producing dental prostheses is increasingly digitising. For instance, manual dental impressions are increasingly giving way to oral scanners. At the same time, however, production techniques continue to lag behind. As a result, a shift towards centralised production facilities is underway in several countries. Novenda is responding to this with its 3D printing technology.
In the future, Novenda plans to expand its platform to other dental applications. The company also wants to eventually enter new markets where there is demand for what the company describes as "individualised mass production". The company's immediate focus is on deploying their technology in large and medium-sized dental labs in Europe and the US.
