Akervall Technologies puts entrepreneurship where its mouth is

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Entrepreneurs everywhere are trying to build the better mousetrap. Ann Arbor's Jan and Sassa Akervall believe they have built a better mouth guard.

Dr. Jan Akervall – an ear, nose and throat specialist – invented the mouth guard while figuring out a way to protect his patients' teeth from being chipped during medical procedures. That gave rise to his start-up, Akervall Technologies, and its principal product, Protech Dent.

"He was concerned about this," says Sassa Akervall, COO of Akervall Technologies. "He wanted something better to protect their teeth and what was available just wasn't cutting it."

The ultra-thin mouth guard is made of non-compressible, perforated material and is 30 percent stronger than conventional mouth guards. It allows its users to drink, talk, and breathe normally without removing it. Medical patients, athletes, and even soldiers are among the targeted clientele.

The Ann Arbor-based company is in the process of getting the product onto retail shelves and raising seed capital to increase its visibility. It recently received a Michigan microloan to help achieve its marketing goals.

"We realized if we wanted to make it in retail we need to be visible," Sassa says. "We need to stand out."

The 2-year-old company employs three people and plans to hire a sales and marketing specialist.

"I can see this company growing to the point we need our own plant in the future," Sassa says. "We need to take it one step at a time."

Source: Sassa Akervall, COO of Akervall Technologies
Writer: Jon Zemke