Accelerating the R&D of Next-Generation 3D Printing Materials for Invisible Orthodontics, "LUXCREO" Secures Investment from Angelalign | Exclusive Report by 36Kr

Text by | Hu Xiangyun

Edited by | Hai Ruojing

36Kr learned that LuxCreo recently completed a new round of financing, with the investor being Era Angel (6699.HK), a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The two parties will establish a global strategic partnership to jointly carry out the R & D of new 3D printing materials, the iteration of intelligent platforms, and the construction of channels and ecological systems. Exponent Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor.

LuxCreo focuses on providing polymer 3D printing solutions. Through the comprehensive integration of advanced 3D printers and post - processing systems, AI intelligent software, and high - performance materials, it creates a full - set of digital production solutions from data to end - products. The relevant products have now been applied in multiple fields such as dentistry, medical care, consumer goods, and industry.

In recent years, with the improvement of the public's awareness of oral health, the global invisible orthodontics market has continued to grow, indirectly driving the expansion of the oral medical device market. Guosheng Securities predicts that by 2030, the global oral medical device market will exceed $80 billion. In this process, technologies such as 3D printing and digital dentistry have deeply penetrated into all aspects of oral medical services due to their advantages of improving treatment efficiency and enhancing patients' treatment experience.

One of the most typical application cases is the manufacturing of invisible orthodontic appliances. Driven by the digital wave, direct 3D printing is gradually regarded as the new - generation core technology in the dental industry, with advantages such as reduced processes and shorter production cycles. With continuous breakthroughs in new materials and further improvement in processes, the manufacturing accuracy, mechanical properties, and design freedom of directly 3D - printed orthodontic appliances are expected to be further improved, thus expanding the possibilities of complex cases and personalized diagnosis and treatment.

"We can directly print orthodontic aligners through light - curing, which can reduce the accumulation of errors in the manufacturing process and produce invisible aligners with controllable thickness and better fit," explained Yang Shangyou, CEO of LuxCreo.

In response to the limitations of traditional processes, LuxCreo has developed a direct 3D printing technology for orthodontic appliances and the ActiveMemory™ shape - memory material suitable for it. Yang Shangyou introduced: "After eliminating the 'intermediate links' that are prone to errors, the directly printed orthodontic appliances not only have higher accuracy, better fit with teeth, and more precise mechanical expression, but also allow for complex designs such as different thicknesses, zoned elasticity, and built - in mechanical structures to be locally printed on the surface of the appliance. Doctors can precisely design the orthodontic force according to the tooth movement path and customize a truly personalized treatment plan for patients."

Data provided by LuxCreo shows that the direct 3D printing technology can improve the manufacturing accuracy of aligners to 96.25%.

In addition, more convenient processes also help reduce material waste, lower costs, and achieve rapid production. This will help shorten patients' waiting time and optimize the operational efficiency of clinics.

Image source: LuxCreo

On the other hand, in terms of patient experience, the high manufacturing accuracy of directly 3D - printed orthodontic appliances may reduce the dependence on attachments during the orthodontic process, thereby improving aesthetics and wearing comfort.

"Through the local thickening design of 4D orthodontic appliances, the local performance of the appliance can be adjusted as needed to achieve directional force application and improve control ability. At the same time, ActiveMemory™ has a heat - activated shape - memory function. Patients can restore the initial'shape' of the appliance by soaking it in hot water, providing continuous and stable orthodontic force. It's like wearing a new orthodontic appliance every day. In the actual technology promotion, this function is also one of the highlights that doctors pay the most attention to," said Yang Shangyou.

Yang Shangyou admitted that the shift from traditional thermoforming processes to direct 3D printing technology has gradually become one of the development directions in the oral medical industry. Currently, the recognition of this technology among dental experts and doctors in Europe and the United States is also gradually increasing. This cooperation between Era Angel and the company aims to complete the layout of new technologies as soon as possible and lay the foundation for more extensive clinical implementation in the future.

In terms of revenue, the overseas market, mainly in Europe and the United States, contributes more than 80% of LuxCreo's revenue. By segment, the dental segment accounts for more than 70% of the revenue. "Considering that Europe and the United States are still the main forces in the global dental consumer market, our focus will still be on the European and American markets in the next two years," said Yang Shangyou.

Regarding this financing:

Yang Shangyou, co - founder and CEO of LuxCreo, said, "We are very glad to cooperate with a leading company like Era Angel. Era Angel's rich clinical service experience and industrial chain resources will accelerate the expansion of LuxCreo's advantages in material innovation, production automation, and digital AI dental platforms. We hope to jointly establish an efficient and accurate new digital orthodontic paradigm, enabling more users around the world to benefit from technological innovation."

Chen Ge, executive director of Exponent Capital, said, "We are very honored to assist LuxCreo in completing this round of financing. The dental industry has reached a disruptive turning point from'mold manufacturing' to 'digital direct production'. We firmly believe in the application prospects of direct 3D printing technology in the dental field. LuxCreo has built extremely high technical barriers through its fully self - developed LEAP™ high - speed printing technology, breakthrough material science, and global compliance certifications. We believe that this strategic cooperation with the industry leader Era Angel will inject new impetus into LuxCreo, comprehensively accelerate the global commercialization process and enrich the development of clinical applications, leading the next - generation technological revolution in the dental industry."