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Straumann divests DrSmile, retaining a minority stake

Acquiring DrSmile means that Impress group will gain a market presence in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden, in addition to its existing markets Italy, Portugal, the UK and Spain. (Image: Alexandr Grant/Shutterstock)

Tue. 27 August 2024

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BASEL, Switzerland: Straumann Group has agreed to sell its DrSmile clear aligner business to the Impress group, citing a desire to concentrate on business-to-business (B2B) orthodontic products and services. Straumann will retain a minority share in the company, and Impress is expected to leverage the brand to enter new European aligner markets.

Straumann announced the sale on 14 August, together with its financial results for the second quarter of this year. The sale agreement is expected to close “in due time”, and its terms were not disclosed, although it appears that the sale may be cash-free. Straumann said that it will retain a 20% shareholding in DrSmile on a fully diluted basis. Impress has committed to providing customer support to existing DrSmile customers during the acquisition process, and Straumann will continue to be a key supplier of aligners to Impress.

“Going forward and with selling DrSmile, we will focus even more on our B2B orthodontics business by increasing our investment in this area to keep strengthening our go-to-market approach,” Straumann CEO Guillaume Daniellot explained to investors in the company’s August earnings call. Commenting on the impact of the divesture on Straumann’s overall aligner sales in the Europe, Middle East and Asia region, Daniellot said: “We are somewhat transforming our direct-to-consumer into a B2B business, as we are going to provide those clinics also with the ClearCorrect clear aligner.”

Founded in 2019, the Barcelona-headquartered Impress group is a leading provider of aligner therapy and operates clinics in Italy, Portugal, the UK and Spain. Acquiring DrSmile will expand Impress’s European footprint to include Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden.

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