Digital dentistry firm receives £2m seed funding

A spin-out company from the University of Leeds has received investment to accelerate the development of AI dentistry products.

Northern Gritstone has led a £2m seed funding round in Mimetrik, alongside participation from angel investors with decades of experience in the dental industry. The investment will enable the company to expand its team and deliver its first three products to market.

Based in the University’s state-of-the-art innovation hub at Nexus, Mimetrik was founded in 2020 and builds on more than a decade of world-leading research at the School of Dentistry.

The company has developed a 3D-scanning technology that uses machine learning to generate fully digitised images of patients’ dentition and facial structures. The products combine cutting-edge software, hardware and mobile apps.

Our research aims to shape the future of the industry, enabling new technology to thrive and improve the patient experience.”

Dr Alan Mighell, Dean of the School of Dentistry.

Mimetrik’s aim is to create a full ‘digital pathway’ between dental labs and clinicians for the benefit of patients, replacing the costly, time-intensive current approach of creating physical models of each patient’s dentition and enabling more accurate and faster treatment.

Together, this investment is set to redefine the global digital dentistry market, covering dental impression scanning, occlusion, virtual articulation and restorative treatment planning. The software is primed to make significant advancements in preventative treatment pathways.

Dental 3-D scan image of a bottom jawline of teeth.
Dr Martin Stow, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business Engagement and Enterprise at the University of Leeds, said: “Our world leading research in the School of Dentistry, coupled with the collaboration opportunities provided by our innovation hub, Nexus, has enabled the University’s spin-out company Mimetrik to develop groundbreaking new technologies to advance patient treatment.

“It is fantastic to see Northern Gritstone choosing to invest in the business and we hope that the funding will accelerate the company’s development to start bringing vital improvements to dental clinicians, manufacturers and patients around the globe.”

Alyn Morgan, Founder and CEO of Mimetrik, added: “With over 30 years in clinical dentistry, I have seen first-hand the time and cost spent on traditional techniques and I believe that our products have the ability to transform the industry and ultimately ensure better patient care.

“Northern Gritstone’s investment is a vote of confidence in our technology and we will benefit from their advice and knowledge as we continue to grow and bring our products to market.”

Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Mimetrik’s technology has the capacity to bring dentistry into a new age, removing unnecessary costs and time delays with AI-driven software. It is fantastic to see the North of England producing such cutting-edge technology that might have an impact on an essential part of our lives.”