Swiss dental medtech vVARDIS received a strategic minority investment from Apollo-managed funds, surpassing a $1 billion valuation and joining a select group of privately held European healthcare unicorns. The financial terms were not disclosed.
The company was founded in 2019 by sisters Dr Haley Abivardi and Dr Goly Abivardi, both DMDs, who will retain a substantial majority stake after the deal. The two co-CEOs spent over 25 years developing the science before commercialising it and have since built vVARDIS into one of the fastest-growing dental manufacturing companies.
The company’s flagship product, launched in the United States just over two years ago, is the first commercially available peptide-containing formulation clinically proven to treat early-stage tooth decay without drilling or anaesthesia.
The formulation diffuses into the enamel and facilitates mineral crystal formation throughout the lesion’s depth, supported by over 250 scientific publications and a success rate exceeding 90%. According to the company, the product is now in nearly 20% of general dental practices in the United States and has treated approximately 3 million teeth.
In conventional dentistry, early-stage cavities have no restorative options other than drilling. Alternative treatments like silver diamine fluoride can arrest decay but cause black staining, limiting patient acceptance. Curodont offers a non-staining, needle-free solution that can be applied within minutes, providing dental practices with a billable same-day treatment and replacing the traditional watch-and-wait approach.
The proceeds will support continued expansion across the United States and Europe, which vVARDIS identifies as its next growth phase.
