Targeting US$3 Billion Aligner Market, KLAR Raises Seed Funding Led by AC Ventures

Published on June 29, 2021

KLAR, an Indonesian aesthetic dentistry technology startup, announced the closure of its seed funding round led by AC Ventures, with participation from the Kenangan Fund. Combining cutting-edge technology with orthodontic expertise, KLAR creates a modern ultra-clear aligner that is comfortable to wear and can improve teeth aesthetics and alignment without the use of braces.

The startup plans to use the funding for four business goals: 1) R&D development to achieve economies of scale and treatment optimization so patients can enjoy world-class quality treatment without breaking the bank, 2) expansion of KLAR’s talent base to help propel the company’s growth going forward to stay on top of the market trends, and become a market leader, 3) establishing KLAR as the go-to brand for patients and partnering dentists for hassle-free teeth correction solution, and 4) venture into complementary product offerings to offer a holistic aesthetic and functional dental treatment for patients.

“This funding is the first step to grow KLAR further and achieve all of our goals when we decided to establish this startup. Our investors and us agreed from the start that our business goal is to provide reliable dental technology solutions for the patients. We see more and more patients who want to have healthy teeth and an attractive smile to increase their confidence. However, they prefer a comfortable process without compromising on the aesthetics factor,” said Ellen Pranata, CEO and co-founder of KLAR.

KLAR’s Strong Tractions and Business Model

Launched in September 2020, KLAR has quickly grown to become one of Indonesia’s most exciting dental technology brands. The company has partnered with 600+ dentist partners (dentists and orthodontists) throughout the archipelago in less than a year.

To meet the increasing needs of a healthy, straight set of teeth and an attractive smile, KLAR is now present in more than 100 dental clinics across 32 cities. Jakarta, Bali, and Surabaya are the company’s key cities. Despite operating during the Covid-19 pandemic, the startup is still recording strong revenue growth.

KLAR’s founders are heavyweights in the dental space and pose an unfair competitive advantage in this industry. Ellen Pranata, as the CEO, is a former director of Cobra Dental, one of Indonesia’s largest importers and retailers of dental equipment and materials. Adelia Susanto (Chief Orthodontist) is a practicing orthodontist with years of experience in clear aligners treatment technology. David Sugihartana (COO) is highly skilled in prosthetics, aesthetics, and full mouth rehabilitations. This trifecta is helped by advisers: Gita Prihanto (former COO of edtech RuangGuru and former Senior Director at Grab Indonesia) and Adrian Susanto (CEO of Cobra Dental).

The company embraces a B2B2C business model. KLAR provides high-tech aligner technology to partnering dentists, which they can use to complement their dental services to patients. Both dentists and patients can also interact and monitor treatment progress remotely with KLAR’s mobile app called KLAR Smile. This is a crucial differentiator that reduces the number of visits and time spent on periodic check-ups.

The company manages everything in-house, including owning the manufacturing facility for KLAR Aligner production. With this approach, KLAR can maintain control over quality and push down production costs.

“Our aesthetic dental treatment quality is world-class, but we’re able to offer it at a fraction of the price because our production and treatment plans are all done within Indonesia,” Ellen added. The 20-strong team aims to grow its talent pool to at least 80 people this year to keep up with increasing demand.

The innovative KLAR Aligners were developed by experienced orthodontists, and each set is tailor-made to suit each patient’s needs. In fact, the ultra-clear aligners from KLAR are the only clear aligners made in Indonesia that are officially registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Health – thus it is guaranteed to be safe and comfortable to use. KLAR Aligners offers a holistic teeth malocclusion treatment, which will ensure a healthy bite alignment after treatment.

“KLAR is trying to solve the existing problems with better, more affordable, and more convenient solutions. Backed by a solid founding team and strong industry network, we believe KLAR has the ingredients required to come out as a winner in a large and growing market of dental aesthetics in Indonesia. Moreover, the good market for aligners is worth of US$3 billion. With growing GDP per capita and increasing interest in self-care and aesthetics, we are confident that the demand for aligners will continue to grow,” said Michael Soerijadji, Founding & General Partner of AC Ventures. 

“We are very honored to be trusted by AC Ventures, Kenangan Fund, and all participating investors. AC Ventures has a long experience working with early-stage startups, while Kenangan Fund is our inspiration in fostering brand affinity among customers. In the future, we hope to continue our purpose in educating Indonesians about the importance of oral health and dental aesthetics – which can be the key to good health and a better quality of life,” Ellen concluded.