Indian clinical beauty technology startup, makeO, has acquired Smileneo, a licensed regional teledentistry platform for direct-to-consumer teeth straightening in the MENA region, in one of the first-ever acquisitions of a GCC venture capital-backed startup by an Indian company. The acquisition is one of the first examples of closer startup ecosystem cooperation between the MENA and India, catalysed by the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed in February 2022.
Founded by Dr Jonathan Doerr, Smileneo provides safe and effective doctor-prescribed and monitored clear aligners to straighten teeth for beautiful smiles. Launched in 2020, Smileneo has served thousands of patients through a network of more than 30 licensed partner orthodontists in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.
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Meanwhile, makeO provides consumers with access to doctor-backed smile and cosmetic skin therapies in an easy and affordable manner. makeO houses toothsi, India’s largest dental aligner brand, which has offered clear aligner treatments to more than 200,000 customers at home, in clinics and at experience centres.
According to Dr Arpi Mehta, CEO and co-founder of makeO, this acquisition marks the company’s foray into the MENA region where aesthetic dentistry is seeing massive growth due to new government policies in favour of dental services and consumers’ increased interest in oral health. Smileneo’s high-quality medical and tech-driven approach, as well as its footprint and expertise in the region, will accelerate makeO’s growth ambitions and materialise the company’s vision to expand beyond India.
