India’s makeO acquires Dubai-based health tech startup Smileneo
The first authorised direct-to-consumer teeth-straightening startup in the MENA region, Smileneo, is headquartered in Dubai and was recently acquired by India’s makeO. With the scale to meet consumer demand, the combined entity will grow to be the biggest clinical beauty technology platform globally.
Smileneo, a company founded by Dr. Jonathan Doerr, and its orthodontic partners provide clear aligners that are safe, effective, and monitored by a doctor to straighten teeth for attractive smiles. Since its launch in 2020, Smileneo has provided orthodontic care to thousands of patients in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar through a network of more than 30 certified partner orthodontists. Smileneo is the first and only regional teledentistry platform for direct-to-consumer teeth straightening in the MENA thanks to its compliance with local health officials.
With its brands toothsi and skinnsi, makeO—the only U.S. FDA-approved B2C aligner business in India—offers at-home “aesthetic makeovers” such as oral and skin care services. The ecosystem that makeO has effectively established among reputable orthodontists, dentists, and dermatologists is revolutionising how procedures like teeth straightening, teeth whitening, laser hair removal, and derma-facial treatments are carried out outside of a clinical setting. The brand, which places technology and innovation at its heart, also boasts of cutting-edge infrastructure, including the biggest in-house 3D printing aligner manufacturing facility in India. In less than three years, makeO is proud to have created 200,000+ smile plans under the brand toothsi and 60,000+ laser hair removal treatments under the brand skinnsi.
“We are very excited to work with makeO and for this opportunity as both businesses share the vision of building a high-quality clinical beauty technology platform,” said Dr. Jonathan Doerr, CEO and founder of Smileneo. In addition to advancing our company and assisting our partner clinics in their growth, MakeO’s extensive expertise and production capabilities will also enable us to expand beyond our established orthodontics practise and into new telehealth areas.
Dr. Arpi Mehta, CEO & Co-Founder of makeO, added, “We are now ready to expand makeO’s product & technology expertise to the global audience having attained strong market leadership in the Indian selfcare industry. Our growth aspirations will be accelerated by Smileneo’s high-quality medical and tech-driven approach, as well as its footprint and expertise in the area, and this will help us realise our goal of going beyond India. We will be able to penetrate the Middle East through this acquisition, and we will also have a foundation from which to expand further into South Asia and Africa.
