Meet the top innovators poised to accelerate medical-dental integration and spark innovation alongside industry and investor partners
June 21, 2024 (Boston, MA & Chicago, IL) – CareQuest Innovation Partners, a company focused on validating and scaling transformative solutions to improve overall health through oral health for all, in partnership with MATTER, the premier health care incubator and innovation hub, today announced their selection of emerging startups to participate in the third year of the SMILE Health program.
The oral health care crisis in the US is exacerbated by a historic lack of investment in the industry. Oral diseases lead to $710 billion in treatment costs and productivity losses worldwide each year. Yet, in the US, dental startups poised to address these challenges raised less than $200 million in funding in 2023, compared to the nearly $17 billion raised by US health care startups in the same year according to a Crunchbase analysis. Through SMILE Health, CareQuest Innovation Partners is activating a growing ecosystem of partners to accelerate investment and innovation, advance health equity, and propel solutions that integrate dental and medical health care.
Six startups were selected from an impressive group of applicants from 11 countries and 27 US states, with more than 50 percent of founders representing ethnic or racial minority groups. Spanning a range of technologies that address the program’s key focus areas, selected startup solutions deepen connections between oral health and the broader health care system – from novel, preventive therapies to telehealth and integrated health services meeting consumers where they are, including at home, in clinics, and online. Selected companies are DentKits, DifferentKind, Oraliva, ThriveLink, Umayana, and Yumlish.
Umayana | Istanbul, Turkey
Umayana is a biotech company with a range of products, Murnia, which prevent and treat severe cancer and acute wounds with its patented molecular compound and formulations. Umayana helps cancer patients suffering from wounds like oral mucositis.