Belgium-headquartered Relu, a dental software company, builds AI algorithms to support the automation of digital dental treatment planning.
In a recent development, Relu snapped €2 million seed funding from global dental industry investors, including a US-based early-stage VC Dental Innovation Alliance.
The funding will be used to further advance the AI algorithms that Relu offers to dental software companies. Also, it will be used to increase focus on enabling global clients in the EU and US markets.
“Relu and our new investors are a dream team. We are excited to work with such world-class investors who have a deep understanding of the dental industry. They are a perfect fit for the next phase of our company’s growth. Together, we can support dental companies across the globe with planning automation of dental treatments, like dental surgery and clear aligners,” said Holger Willems, Co-Founder and CEO of Relu.
“At Dental Innovation Alliance, we look for entrepreneurs with a vision to make an outsized impact on the cost and/or quality of care. Relu represents the cutting edge of digital dentistry. As Dental Service Organizations continue to provide better care at lower costs, we anticipate a wave of 3D imaging and advanced treatment planning. Relu’s technology gives DSOs and their clinicians the clarity and insight they need to perform their best, grow their practices, and offer the best care possible,” said Doug Brown, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Dental Innovation Alliance.
AI imaging for dental health
Relu was founded by engineering graduates – Holger Willems, Adriaan Van Gerven, Thomas Beznik, and Antoine Coppens in 2019 in Belgium. They developed an AI-based algorithm to image the anatomy of the jaws, teeth and nerves via a 3D model.
Relu works closely with leading dental software companies to make their software faster and easier to use, with AI. Its intelligent system recognises the anatomy in a scan and automatically converts it into 3D models of the jaw, teeth, skull and even nerves without the intervention of a dentist.
Those individual models are merged into a single 3D model, which specialists can interpret more easily, quickly and accurately and use for their digital planning. The solution is also more beneficial for the patients as it provides greater accuracy, reduces the risk of complications and makes treatment run more smoothly.
