Photo credits: Klar
Original post by Tech in Asia
Klar, an Indonesia-based dental startup, announced it has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding led by AC Ventures.
Kenangan fund, the investment fund from the founders of Indonesian coffee chain Kopi Kenangan, also participated in the round.
Launched in September 2020, Klar produces clear aligners that can improve teeth alignment without the use of braces. It has partnered with more than 600 dentists in Indonesia and is present in more than 100 dental clinics across 32 cities in the country.
According to the company, its products are the only clear aligners made in Indonesia that are officially registered with the Ministry of Health.
Klar was founded by Ellen Pranata, former director of Cobra Dental (Indonesia’s largest importer of dental equipment and materials), with Adelia Susanto and David Sugihartana who both have experience in the dental space. Former Ruangguru chief operating officer Gita Prihanto and Cobra Dental chief executive Adrian Susanto also joined the company as advisors.
Klar claims that it can push down production costs because it manages everything in house, including owning the manufacturing facility. According to research company InsightSlice, the global clear aligners market was estimated to be at over US$2.3 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach US$39 billion by 2031.
The company will use the fresh funds for research and development to achieve economies of scale and treatment optimization, establishing Klar as the go-to brand for teeth correction solutions and expanding to complementary product offerings. It also wants to increase the team from 20 employees to at least 80 people by this year.