Align Technology

Align Technology, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets the Invisalign system for treating malocclusion or the misalignment of teeth. Invisalign corrects malocclusion using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position. 

The company's products include Invisalign Full for the treatment of a range of malocclusions; Invisalign Express, a solution for less complex orthodontic cases; Invisalign Teen, which is designed to meet the specific needs of the non-adult comprehensive or teen treatment market; Vivera retainers that offer aesthetic retention solution for Invisalign and non-Invisalign patients; and Invisalign Assist, which is designed for general practitioners for selecting, monitoring, and finishing Invisalign cases. 

It also offers ancillary products comprising cleaning materials and adjusting tools for dental professionals. Align Technology distributes its products directly to orthodontists and general practitioner dentists in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Japan. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

1997: In late August, Kleiner Perkins became a seed investor in Align Technology, creator of the Invisalign system, a transparent orthodontic device to straighten teeth.

1998: Invisalign first received Food and Drug Administration approval. Invisalign received Food and Drug Administration approval after snagging $140 million in venture capital funding. As well, the prototype product was approved by the FDA. Zia and his colleagues founded ‘Align Technology,’ the company that, to this day, owns and operates the Invisalign line and brand.

1999: Invisalign sales began in the US market.

2000: A massive $31 million TV campaign was launched, and the rest is history.

2001: Align Technology went public on January 26, 2001, on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

2003: Despite these setbacks and under the leadership of CEO Tom Prescott (who joined the company in 2003), the business took off. Align Technology developed an extremely aggressive marketing strategy, and the company began losing money.

2004: Align didn’t turn an annual profit until this year, the second full year under the new CEO, Tom Prescott. Meanwhile, one of the original founders, Zia Chishti, left the company.

2006: Align and OrthoClear ultimately settled when Align agreed to buy OrthoClear’s IP for $20 million, effectively forcing them to shut down.

2011: In March, Align acquired the Israeli company Cadent for $190 million; Cadent manufactured intraoral scanners that included 3D imaging, as well as software to display the acquired images and to plan treatment.

2013: They have also continued to Improve on the Invisalign product itself and they introduced SmartTrack® material.

2016: The company's sales reached $1 billion for the first time and its products were being used by about 8% of people who got braces.

2017: The company was faced with the challenge of the expiration of its patents on its Invisalign system starting in October and the beginning of the generic competition.

2020: In March, Align Technology announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire exocad Global Holdings for approximately $418.7 million.

To transform lives by improving the journey to a healthy, beautiful smile.

Our goal is to become an indispensable partner to dental professionals worldwide while building a great company.