Dental and skincare startup makeO raises $16M in bridge round
The parent company of toothsi and skinnsi, makeO will utilise the capital to expand its geographic presence and offline experience centres.
Mumbai-headquartered clinical makeover platform has raised $16 million in a bridge round led by 360 ONE Asset and the investment office of public markets investor Ashish Kacholia. makeO houses clear aligner and dental care brand toothsi as well as skin and hair care brand, skinnsi.
Returning investors Eight Roads Ventures, South Korea's Paramark Ventures, and the family office of Medlife founders Prashant Singh and Tushar Kumar also participated in the round.
The startup will utilise the capital for geographic expansion and to scale its experience centres. The digital-first brand offers its services at home and through its offline centres.
“Our mission is to ensure that clinical-grade makeovers are more accessible, affordable and convenient to every Indian,” said Dr Arpi Mehta, Co-founder and CEO at makeO, in a statement issued by the company. “The capital will enable us to strengthen our online and offline footprint, offering customers the convenience of accessing our services at their doorstep or through our physical experience centres,” she added.
makeO’s offline experience centres offer customers a place to explore its solutions and to consult with in-house orthodontists and dermatologists, offering end-to-end clinical support.
Founded in 2018 by Dr Arpi Mehta, Dr Pravin Shetty, Dr Manjul Jain and Dr Anirudha Kale, makeO launched in the Indian market with its 3D-printed clear aligner toothsi and employs over 600 dental professionals and 100-plus orthodontists and in-house dentists. It also offers services like microneedling treatments for hair fall, and products like electric toothbrushes, teeth whitening UV kits, acne treatment kits, face washes, skin toners, moisturisers, and exfoliating peels.
The brand has operations across 17 Indian cities and two cities in the UAE.
The company had last raised $40 million in a Series C round of funding in May 2022 at a valuation of $270 million, according to market and data research platform, Tracxn. makeO had also acquired Dubai-based Smileneo in February 2023 towards its global expansion.
Edited by Kanishk Singh