AI-based dentistry startup Pearlii raises $1.25 million seed round

Melbourne-based tech startup Pearlii, a world-first dental app for check-ups, has raised $1.25 million in seed investment from some of Australia’s most prominent investors, including Roger Allen and Justin Liberman.

Founder and CEO, Dr Kyle Turner has developed artificial intelligence technology to scans a Pearlii user’s dental photos to check for common problems such as tooth decay and gum disease, with the app generating oral health advice based on the findings.

The app is still an early release, but is available for free on the Play Store and Apple App Store in Australia. Pearlii plans to launch worldwide by April 2021.

Dr Turner’s own personal misfortune inspired him to build Pearlii, knowing that oral hygiene is a major public health problem that is fully preventable.

“I have very bad teeth. I grew up in a poor family in country New South Wales, Australia, where access to dental services was almost non-existent. Since then, I’ve learned that almost all dental problems are preventable with regular check-ups and good oral hygiene,” he said

“I now have great personal oral hygiene, but unfortunately a lot of damage was done. I built Pearlii to prevent this from happening to anyone else.”

He’s made Pearlii free knowing the three biggest barriers to seeing a dentist are cost, time, and where you live.

A Pearlii App user simply uploads five photos of their teeth and gums using their smartphone, along with a short oral health questionnaire to get personalised recommendations, tools, and education.

Pearlii generates revenue through referral pathways to more than 3,000 dentists in Australia and its own products such as teeth whitening kits. Dr Turner has more products in the works. The profits from the home teeth whitening kits go towards sponsoring a child in East Timor’s toothbrushes and toothpaste for a full year.