AUSTIN, Texas– When Dr. Brandon Owen founded KLOwen Braces, Inc. in 2019, he was a man on a mission to address a long-standing problem in the field of orthodontics — the one-size-fits-all approach to braces. With Stride Custom Braces from KLOwen, patients receive a fully individualized solution that delivers faster, better outcomes than traditional braces.
For the past three years, KLOwen has been helping orthodontists throughout the country double their capacity and double their profits without additional staff or clinic hours. To date, the cutting-edge Stride Custom Braces system has featured metal brackets exclusively, which remain the most popular option among wearers of braces. However, to ensure 100% inclusivity, the company will premier a new 3D-printed clear brackets solution at the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session in Miami Beach, Florida, May 21-24, 2022.
“With traditional braces, patients have to commit to a years-long process that requires continual adjustments to a standardized set of brackets, which is extremely cumbersome and inefficient,” Owen explains. “And because it’s so time-consuming, it also limits the ability of orthodontists to grow their practices, as there are only so many hours in a day, and only so many patients they can see. With Stride Custom Braces, the labor of an orthodontist is significantly reduced compared to traditional braces. And now that we provide options for both metal and clear brackets, all patients can reap the benefits of Stride Custom Braces.”
It wasn’t long ago that ground-breaking innovations in aligners took the orthodontics market by storm, but fixed appliance patients still represent nearly 70% of all orthodontics cases. “I have no doubt that the technology KLOwen has developed will create a seismic shift in the way patients experience braces, and will also vastly improve the earnings potential of orthodontists,” says John Bratrud, Managing Partner at Columbia Pacific Advisors, the lead investor in KLOwen’s $10.5 million Series A.
In addition to Columbia Pacific Advisors, this latest round of funding received the backing of several existing KLOwen investors, including Jazz Venture Partners, SpringRock Ventures, Ensemble Innovation Ventures and the American Association of Orthodontists.
“Brandon Owen is a true visionary,” says John Harris, Managing Partner at Jazz Venture Partners. “He combined a passion for digital technology with a deep desire to make a difference in his chosen field of orthodontics, and he’s now able to offer his fellow practitioners a completely custom solution at a very affordable price point. Jazz Venture Partners is proud to have participated in KLOwen’s Series A, and we have every confidence Brandon and his team are going to dominate the market.”
