Pearl

Company Overview

Pearl is a dental AI company founded in 2019 that develops artificial intelligence tools for dental professionals to analyze X-rays, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and optimize practice operations. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Pearl was founded by Ophir Tanz, Cambron Carter, and Dr. Kyle Stanley. Tanz and Carter previously worked together at GumGum, an AI company for digital advertising that Tanz founded in 2008. Dr. Stanley is a practicing dentist who partnered with Tanz and Carter to bring AI technology to dentistry.

The founders’ vision was to create AI that could act as an “always-on assistant” for dentists and a “trustworthy friend” for patients. They saw dentistry as fertile ground for AI adoption compared to other healthcare fields.

Products Overview

Pearl’s main products include:

1. Second Opinion - An AI-powered platform that can instantly detect numerous potential conditions in dental radiographs. It analyzes x-rays to assist dentists in diagnosis.

2. Practice Intelligence - Collects data from Second Opinion and practice management systems to give insights into practice performance. Helps inform decisions on training, staffing, and procurement.

3. Smart Margin - AI technology trained to automatically mark margins on digital models for dental restorations, improving efficiency for dental labs.

4. Prep Assess - Enables real-time assessment of the quality of dental preparations and scans to improve restoration fit and reduce rework.

These products aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy, improve practice efficiency, optimize lab workflows, and ultimately elevate the standard of dental care.

Founding Team

The key founders of Pearl are:

• Ophir Tanz - CEO and Founder. Previously founded GumGum, an AI company for digital advertising.

• Cambron Carter - Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder. Worked with Tanz previously at GumGum.

• Dr. Kyle Stanley - Co-Founder. Practicing dentist who partnered with Tanz and Carter to bring AI to dentistry.

Problem and Market Fit

Pearl aims to solve several key problems in dentistry:

1. Inconsistency and potential errors in radiograph analysis and diagnosis
2. Inefficiencies in dental practice operations and performance tracking
3. Time-consuming and error-prone manual processes in dental labs

The company sees dentistry as uniquely suited for AI adoption compared to other healthcare fields. Factors like the visual nature of diagnosis, standardized imaging, and defined treatment options make dental AI applications highly viable.

Business Model

Pearl operates on a B2B SaaS model, providing its AI software tools to dental practices, dental service organizations (DSOs), laboratories, and insurance companies on a subscription basis. The company’s products are designed to integrate with existing dental practice management systems and workflows.

Funding and Runway

In May 2022, Pearl raised a $58 million Series B funding round led by Spark Capital. This was described as the largest investment in dental AI at the time. The company’s total funding is not publicly disclosed, but this large round suggests they likely have substantial runway to continue developing and scaling their products.

Competitive Landscape

Pearl positions itself as a leader in the dental AI space, with FDA clearance for its diagnostic AI capabilities being a key differentiator. Some other companies working on dental AI include:

• Overjet
• Denti.AI
• VideaHealth
• Dentistry.AI

However, Pearl claims to have more comprehensive clinical detection capabilities and regulatory clearances in more countries compared to competitors.

Customers

While specific customer names are not provided, Pearl’s products are aimed at:

• Dental practices and DSOs
• Dental laboratories
• Insurance companies

The company has regulatory clearances to operate in over 100 countries, suggesting a broad potential customer base.

Relevant News

• March 2022: Pearl received FDA clearance for its Second Opinion AI product, becoming the first dental AI company to receive FDA clearance for AI-assisted detection capabilities.

• May 2022: Pearl raised a $58 million Series B funding round.

• The company continues to expand its product offerings and capabilities, with ongoing development in areas like practice analytics and lab workflow optimization.

Overall, Pearl appears to be a well-funded, fast-growing player in the emerging dental AI market, with a comprehensive product suite and strong regulatory positioning. The company’s vision is to leverage AI to improve dental care quality, efficiency, and patient outcomes on a global scale.