Biomin Technologies, a UK-based dental additive supplier spun out from Queen Mary University of London, attracted £2m ($2.6m) on Friday in a funding round backed by toothpaste manufacturer Guangdong Kanwan Cosmetics.
The round also featured a range of unnamed investors, identified only as trade partners of Biomin.
Founded in 2014, Biomin produces toothpastes that contain bioactive glass, a material capable of replenishing worn mineral on the tooth’s surface. The technology helps alleviate tooth sensitivity and halt the progression of decay.
The bioactive glass could also be embedded within composite posterior materials to create dental fillings that are more resilient than conventional alternatives, such as amalgam fillings.
The capital will help Biomin set up distribution capacity and conduct further research as it looks to further commercialise its additive. Kanwan will include the glass in toothpastes for the Chinese market under a manufacturing and distribution licence from the spinout.
Biomin already has a range of such partnerships in place, with US-based oral care business Dr Collins, India-based drug manufacturer Group Pharmaceuticals and healthcare conglomerate Abbott Laboratories, in addition to distribution partnerships for several European countries.
The company received assistance in drawing up the Chinese licence from Queen Mary-led research and knowledge transfer partnership Innovation China UK (ICUK) and Science and Innovation Network (SIN), the UK government’s global research collaboration program.
Biomin’s technology is based on collaborative research started in 2008 by Queen Mary and Imperial College London. It was co-founded by Robert Hill, the chairman of dental physical sciences at Queen Mary’s Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Hill was helped by his former PhD student Xiaojing Chen, now a professor of dental materials at Central Southern University in Changsha, China.
Richard Whatley, chief executive of Biomin Technologies, said: “This partnership with Guangdong Kanwan Cosmetics opens up enormous potential for our startup enterprise.
“The support provided by ICUK and SIN has been central to establishing this Chinese licence partner for our innovative technology.”
