SmileDirectClub

The company initially partnered with Align Technology as an exclusive third-party distributor for its aligners. After a dispute over violation of a non-compete clause claiming Align "misused confidential SmileDirectClub information and violated its fiduciary duties," Align was ordered by an arbitrator to close its retail locations and return its ownership stake in SmileDirect. Align filed an additional arbitration to recoup amount the value of the ownership stake. In 2021, the arbitrator has ordered SmileDirectClub to pay Align $43.4 million for the ownership stake.In October 2018, SmileDirectClub raised $380 million in an investment round led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Kleiner Perkins, for a $3.2 billion valuation according to Bloomberg. SmileDirectClub was initially funded by Camelot Venture Group. NBA player Draymond Green was an early investor in the company, investing in 2015, after personally using its products.The company expanded into Canada in November 2018, and expanded into the UK and Australia in 2019.During the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, SmileDirectClub announced a collaboration with singer Shawn Mendes on campaign to show "that confidence is gained with an amazing smile."

In April 2019, CVS announced that the company would add SmileDirectClub locations to hundreds of CVS stores. In May 2019, HP and SmileDirectClub announced a partnership to produce over 20 million 3D-printed molds over the following year.In August 2019, the company filed S-1 paperwork to go public. On September 12, 2019, the company went public by offering initial shares at $23, above the expected price of $19-$22 per share. SDC's IPO opened at $20.55 and closed at $16.67 after the first day, a 28% loss from the initial shares offering. After the loss, the CFO of the company has stated that the focus of the company will remain the same despite market evaluations.SmileDirectClub was awarded a business-model patent on the process used to plastic aligners for customers on April 28, 2020. SmileDirectClub sued a competitor Candid Care, calling it "a copycat model". U.S. District Judge Colm Connolly invalidated the patent.On April 14, 2021, the company was the subject of a cyberattack. In a filing, the SmileDirectClub reported that they were "able to successfully block the attack, no ransom was paid, and the Company's systems and operations are back online and performing normally." The estimated cost was $10 million to $15 million in revenue "from the cyberattack and the associated downtime in treatment planning and manufacturing."On August 3, 2021, a workplace shooting occurred at the company's manufacturing facility in Nashville. Two security guards and a manager were injured by the gunman, 22-year-old employee Antonio King, who was then shot and killed by responding police officers. SmileDirectClub released a statement after the shooting, saying it was saddened by the events.