Who will win the SamsungNEXT Startup Competition at Propelify 2017 along with tons of cash, prizes and bragging rights? We’re thrilled to introduce you to the 10 semi-finalists of this year’s Startup Competition. They will be pitching to judges in a showdown this Thursday, May 18th during the Propelify Innovation Festival in Hoboken, NJ. Be there to see who is crowned the winner!
Get to know Arfona, LLC, the world’s first filament printer for dental labs.
Describe the problem you are solving.
Affordable and cosmetic tooth replacement through 3D printing.
Why did you start this company?
I have been a dental technician for the past 12 years and see the need to digitize the manufacturing of certain dental appliances that are currently made by time consuming and expensive handmade processes.
What steps have you taken to validate the market? What traction can you share?
We have 4 beta users in Germany and 4 early adopter customers in the USA. Both are generating feedback on the product and user experience.
Who is your target demographic?
Dental laboratories are our sales channel, dental clinics and people with missing teeth.
How do you plan to acquire customers?
In the dental lab industry inside sales reps are still the most effective method of generating sales. We plan to hire 3 inside sales reps to cover dental labs in the eastern, central and western regions of the country. This will be supplemented by a heavy tradeshow presence, display advertising, testimonials and editorial content and a strong online presence.
Does your product solve a social good?
Tooth loss is a growing concern in the U.S. (178M people missing one or more teeth) but an often neglected aspect of healthcare that is considered optional by many. Our product allows labs to be twice as productive and at a lower cost, thus overall reducing the cost of tooth replacement for the population.
Join us on May 18, 2017 in Hoboken, NJ at Propelify Innovation Festival, where 8,000+ innovators from across the Northeast unite for a must-attend day of tech, investors, talks, exhibitors, VR, drones, and music. Register For Propelify Now.
