Playbrush

Playbrush operates in the digital oral care market, offering products that gamify the tooth-brushing experience for children and provide detailed feedback for adults. The company was founded in 2014 by Paul Varga, Matthäus Ittner, and Tolulope Ogunsina, who met during their university studies. The idea originated when Varga observed his godson's engagement with tablet games, sparking the concept of connecting toothbrushing to interactive entertainment. Varga and Ogunsina both hold an MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship from University College London (UCL), and the initial prototype was developed at UCL's entrepreneurship hub. Ogunsina, the CTO, drew upon his engineering background from Amazon and entrepreneurial experience in his home country of Nigeria to develop the software and hardware.

Playbrush's business model combines the sale of hardware with a subscription service for games and replacement brush heads. The company generates revenue through direct sales of its smart toothbrushes and attachments, as well as recurring revenue from subscriptions that unlock premium games and provide regular deliveries of oral care products. For adults, the company has explored data-driven business models, including partnerships with insurance companies in Germany and Austria where better brushing habits can lead to lower premiums. After raising millions in funding from investors like Speedinvest and several angel investors, Playbrush was acquired by the global oral care conglomerate Sunstar in September 2021, providing the resources to scale internationally, particularly in Asia.

The company's core products are smart toothbrushes and a smart attachment for manual toothbrushes that connect via Bluetooth to a mobile app on a smartphone or tablet. For children, the product line, now co-branded as GUM Playbrush, uses motion sensors to track brushing movements, which then control characters in various interactive games. This system provides real-time feedback and uses rewards to motivate children to brush thoroughly for the recommended amount of time. The app also offers a dashboard for parents to monitor progress. For adults, the Smart One X toothbrush provides a 3D simulation of their teeth and real-time feedback on coverage, surface by surface, to improve brushing technique. The sonic toothbrushes operate at up to 17,000 movements per minute and include features like pressure sensors to ensure gentle cleaning.

Keywords: oral care, smart toothbrush, gamification, dental hygiene, health tech, IoT device, children's health, connected health, subscription service, Bluetooth toothbrush, dental care app, preventive care, Paul Varga, Tolulope Ogunsina, Matthäus Ittner, Sunstar, GUM Playbrush, digital health, family tech, smart home health