Pinsent Masons advises Straumann on investment in DrSmile

Headquartered in Basel, Straumann will acquire a majority stake in DrSmile and has committed to substantial further investment to finance future growth until the acquisition is complete. The parties have agreed on a call/put option mechanism for the remaining stake and an earn-out-based consideration. DrSmile has established itself with its Clear Aligner business as a dental brand for modern dental corrections throughout Europe since its foundation in 2017. The Berlin-based start-up will remain operationally independent. The closing of this transaction is expected in the third quarter of 2020. Straumann will benefit from DrSmile's expertise in DTC (direct-to-consumer) marketing to expand its clear aligner business.

The deal was led by Dr. Torsten Bergau and a team of advisors including Dr. Sandra Schuh. Dr. Torsten Bergau said, "This is a significant deal for the Straumann Group that strengthens its profile as a world leading providers of dental prosthetics and orthodontic solutions. This transaction also continues to build on the firm's credentials in the dental sector across mergers and acquisitions as well as regulation, employment, data privacy, cyber security and intellectual property."

The firm regularly advises Straumann and has assisted clients in the dental industry for more than 10 years. With more than 25 lawyers, Pinsent Masons' pan-European dental group advises companies in the industry on the current challenges posed by digitalization, consolidation and new distribution channels.