LDC Top 50 2018

Harry Gill & Sandy Dau

Co-Founders

Envisage Dental

In four years, husband-and-wife team Harry Gill and Sandy Dau have created a disruptive dentistry brand with eight clinics.

They have big ambitions for Envisage Dental, bringing it into the wellness category for the first time. The company carries out 70,000 appointments a year and investment into a hi-tech facility will support more expansion, ensuring Envisage’s place as the first choice for the perfect smile.

Q&A

What’s unique about Envisage Dental?

Harry: We’re here to disrupt the dental market. Most people only visit a dentist when they are in pain. It tends to be reactive rather than proactive healthcare. We are changing that, asking patients what they would like to change about their smile, and offering a personalised service. Envisage is also bringing consistency to a fragmented market.

What are the drivers of growth?

Sandy: Social media is a big driver. People care about how their teeth look more than ever before because there are more real-time images. The older generation is also less willing to accept dentures. They want to be able to bite into an apple with implants instead.

Harry: The crooked smile was once seen as quaint and English, but the American white smile is now far more popular.

How big could this be?

Harry: We have big ambitions. My background is in fintech start-ups, so I’m bringing my experience of creating company culture, scaling strategies and analytics to this industry. We’ve also purchased a large UK laboratory, which will help us stay on top of new technologies and keep reducing waiting times for patients.

What do you love about building this business?

Sandy: I always wanted to be a dentist, and my whole family is in healthcare – but no one had ever started their own thing. I started reading books on business when I was just a teenager, so I always knew that was what I wanted to do.