InBrace, an orthodontics firm in Irvine known for their “invisible braces,” has enlisted a new CEO ahead of what the company believes will be a new growth phase.
Company officials announced March 23 that consumer healthcare executive and Long Beach resident Clint Carnell has taken the company’s helm, while its co-founder and leading inventor Dr. John Pham assumed his new role as chief medical officer.
The announcement comes after the company brought in over $100 million in an oversubscribed Series D round last September.
The funding accelerated the growth of its sales force and the market adoption of its flagship product, the Smartwire, an invisible braces product that leverages computer modeling and artificial intelligence to move teeth as if they are “on autopilot,” according to InBrace Vice President of Marketing, Gabe Goldberg.
The braces feature a wire and bracket design used on the interior of the teeth.
“It’s really comfortable to wear—you can eat, drink and floss freely,” Goldberg, who uses the product, told the Business Journal.
The technology was co-invented in 2012 by Pham and Dr. Hongsheng Tong, two doctors who sought to find a more efficient teeth straightening solution for children with cleft lip and palate issues.
After partnering with USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the company InBrace was incorporated in 2014.
“As a board member for the last two years, I’ve been impressed with the quality of investors, the InBrace team, and the commitment to disrupting orthodontics with a revolutionary technology,” Carnell said in a statement.
According to Goldberg, InBrace plans to significantly expand its local manufacturing capabilities. Executives said they have set their sights on a 26,000-square-foot plant in Lake Forest.
Career of Commercialization
Prior to joining InBrace, Carnell founded and led multiple consumer healthcare companies.
During the early 2000s, he led Bausch & Lomb’s U.S. surgical business during the development of LASIK. He then served as COO for Solta Medical, where he helped develop the global brand Thermage.
Most recently, he grew Long Beach-based HydraFacial developer BeautyHealth (Nasdaq: SKIN) from a $175 million dollar acquisition to a public company, which currently sports a $2.6 billion dollar market cap.
Carnell said he is “excited to bring the InBrace Smartwire technology to market, giving orthodontists and patients more options for teeth straightening.”
Expansion Plans
In his new role, Carnell will not only help commercialize InBrace’s second generation Smartwire, but also oversee the nationwide rollout the company’s InStudios, training and experience centers designed to train providers on InBrace, as well as their practices’ entire staff, from marketing and front desk to clinical protocol measures.
The first InStudio will open adjacent to its current Irvine headquarters and manufacturing plant in April.
