Novenda Technologies, a Dutch company, has secured $6.1 million (about €5.2 million) to develop its multi-material 3D printing technology for dental products. This funding will help the company transform dental manufacturing and improve access to dental care worldwide.
The investment round was led by Brightlands Venture Partners. Other contributors included KBC Focus Fund, Borski Fund, Limburg Business Development Fund (LIOF), angel investors, and a credit facility from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
Olga Goor, Investment Manager at Brightlands Venture Partners, said, “We are proud to lead this round and support Novenda Technologies as they enter their next growth phase. Their multi-material jetting technology is a breakthrough in digital dentistry. It allows high-precision, scalable manufacturing with minimal waste and little need for post-processing.”
She added, “This innovation not only raises quality standards for dental products but also makes dental care more affordable. It can help patients who currently cannot afford available alternatives. Ultimately, it will help create a more sustainable and fair dental industry.”
Addressing Global Dental Challenges
With rising sugar consumption and increasing dental care costs, about 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer from oral health issues. The dental industry faces pressure to boost manufacturing capacity, especially in regions where centralized production is common. Novenda Technologies aims to address this challenge.
Founded in 2019 by Klaas Wiertzema, Petra Doelman, and Joost Anne Veerman, Novenda began after thorough market research and consultations with dental professionals. The founders engaged dentists, dental technicians, and other stakeholders to develop a practical manufacturing solution.
In 2021, Novenda installed its first printer at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. The company completed its first multi-material print using its own software and materials. This milestone led to further progress, resulting in a proof of concept for nightguards and dentures in 2023.
Innovative 3D Printing Platform
Novenda Technologies has created a full-stack 3D printing platform for dental products. Their system can combine hard and soft materials in one piece, removing the need for manual assembly or post-processing.
The platform uses water-soluble supports that can be washed away with tap water, making production easier. It also features smart print modes that control layers precisely without using mechanical rollers. This avoids ink contamination and allows a broader range of materials and colors, overcoming limits seen in other systems. This method changes how dental products can be mass-produced.
CEO and co-founder Klaas Wiertzema explained, “Using water-soluble supports and no mechanical parts to correct imprecision ensures long-term accuracy. It also removes the need for extensive post-processing. This is critical because dental technicians are becoming harder to find and more costly.”
Novenda’s platform is already showing strong results. Their color management algorithm can produce many color variations from a small set of base colors. At the same time, it keeps mechanical strength to avoid product failures.
The system can make up to 15 nightguards and 8 dentures per hour, supporting medium and large dental labs. Novenda’s LD100 printer is sold as a one-time purchase and works exclusively with their proprietary materials. This ensures consistent quality and biocompatibility and creates a steady materials-based revenue stream for the company.