Brontes Technologies
Brontes Technologies, Inc. was a startup company that produced a digital dental impression system brought to market by 3M{{cite news |author=Writer |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/3m-snaps-up-brontes-technologies/ |title=3M Snaps Up Brontes Technologies - NYTimes.com |publisher=Dealbook.nytimes.com |date=2006-10-17 |accessdate=2011-11-03}} as The Lava Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S.{{cite web |url=http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/LavaCOS/3MESPE-LavaCOS/ |title=Lava™ Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S Digital Impression System intraoral scanner from 3M ESPE US Brontes |publisher=Solutions.3m.com |accessdate=2011-11-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105032010/http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/LavaCOS/3MESPE-LavaCOS/ |archivedate=2011-11-05 }} The Lava C.O.S. provides a powerful connection and improved productivity for a doctor and their dental lab thereby enabling the needed input to mass customized lab production in the dental market.{{cite web|url=http://www.ddsgadget.com/ddsgadgetwp/3-d-digital-imaging-to-revolutionize-impression-taking/ |title=3-D Digital Imaging to Revolutionize Impression Taking | DDSGadget Dental |publisher=Ddsgadget.com |accessdate=2011-11-03}}
History
Brontes Technologies, Inc. was born in 2003 {{Cite web |title=Brontes Technologies, Inc. (3M) |url=https://deshpande.mit.edu/spinouts/brontes-technologies-inc-3m/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation |language=en-US}} out of the research of Massachusetts Institute of Technology lecturer Janos Rohaly (Chief Scientist), professor Douglas Hart,{{cite news|author=Bob Tedesch |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/business/27incubate.html?pagewanted=all/ |title=The Idea Incubator Goes to Campus - NYTimes.com |work=www.nytimes.com |date=2010-06-26 |accessdate=2012-12-06}} and two graduate students from the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federico Frigerio and Sheng Tan. After three years of research, the inventing team received a grant from Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT to shift the focus of its work toward commercial opportunities.{{cite web|last=Newton |first=Curt |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=13285 |title=Funding Faculty Entrepreneurs |publisher=Technology Review |date= |accessdate=2011-11-03}}
In Autumn 2002, the inventing team recruited co-founders Eric Paley as CEO and Micah Rosenbloom as COO, both Harvard Business School students, to evaluate the commercial potential of the technology, develop a business plan and raise capital. In May 2003, the combined team was selected as the runner-up in the MIT 50K and Harvard Business School Business Plan Competitions.[http://articles.boston.com/2010-10-31/business/29291694_1_3m-lab-mit]{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Brontes Technologies was incorporated in June 2003 and identified the dental market as its business focus on the summer of 2003. The company was funded in 2004 by David Frankel, Flybridge Capital, Charles River Ventures, and Bain Capital Ventures.
Innovation
Brontes Technologies innovated 3D-In-Motion technology which allowed the dentist to scan the inside of the mouth by moving an instrument above the teeth and capturing accurate high resolution data in real-time.
In October 2006, Brontes Technologies was acquired by 3M Company for $95 million{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2006/10/16/daily5.html |title=Brontes Technologies acquired by 3M - Boston Business Journal |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date= 2006-10-16|accessdate=2011-11-03}} and the product was launched to the dental market in 2007.