Company Profile
Health · Marketplace · SaaS
Opencare
The dental marketplace where patients book vetted dentists for free - and practices pay only when a new patient actually shows up and is treated.
The dental marketplace where patients book vetted dentists for free - and practices pay only when a new patient actually shows up and is treated.
Most people research a dinner reservation more carefully than they choose a dentist. Opencare was built to close that gap. The company runs a two-sided marketplace: on one side, patients answer a short quiz, read verified reviews and book an appointment online in minutes; on the other, dental practices tap a curated pipeline of new patients they only pay for once treatment happens.
Founded in Toronto in 2012, Opencare set out to build what it calls the first premium dental care network - a vetted roster of top-rated dentists across urban North America. The pitch to patients is simple: skip the guesswork of a directory and get matched to a provider that fits your needs, insurance and location.
The pitch to dentists is sharper still. Traditional dental marketing - ads, listings, directories - charges for attention, not results. Opencare inverts that. Practices are billed on a per-treated-patient basis, meaning marketing spend maps directly to patients who walk in and receive care. The company reports that the average Opencare patient generates more than $2,000 in lifetime revenue, and that more than 75% return for a second visit.
That combination - free, low-friction booking for consumers and outcome-based pricing for providers - is the through-line of everything Opencare does. It is a health-tech marketplace, but the product it really sells is trust.
A free consumer marketplace to search, compare and instantly book vetted dentists. A preference-matching quiz, verified reviews and a first-visit rewards program guide the choice.
Since 2012A pay-for-performance patient-acquisition platform. Practices only pay for new patients who are matched, show up and are treated - plus booking, analytics and reputation tools.
Since 2012Patient pre-qualification by insurance, needs and location, alongside retention, review and referral tooling that helps dental offices grow profitable patient volume.
OngoingA patient enters location and takes a short quiz to surface preferences and needs.
Opencare pre-qualifies by insurance and intent, then connects the patient to a fitting practice.
The patient books online instantly - and can earn a reward for a first visit.
The practice pays only once the new patient shows up and is treated. No shows, no fee.
Approximate, publicly reported ranges. Opencare charges more per patient but only bills on treated, pre-qualified patients - a different unit than a raw booking.
“A curated network of top-rated dentists across North America, committed to delivering world-class oral wellness.
— Opencare, on its mission
The obvious comparison is Zocdoc, the general healthcare booking marketplace. But Opencare made a deliberate choice to go vertical - dentistry only - where Zocdoc spans every specialty. That focus shapes the product: Opencare knows exactly what a "good patient" looks like for a dental office and can pre-qualify on insurance and intent before a booking is made.
The pricing philosophy differs too. General marketplaces often charge per booking, which can leave practices paying for appointments that never convert or disputing whether someone is truly a new patient. Opencare's per-treated-patient fee ties cost to outcome, and its vetting gate - no malpractice history, real positive reviews - keeps the supply side curated rather than crowded.
Competitors in the broader patient-acquisition market include Zocdoc, Solv and scheduling platforms like NexHealth. Opencare's wager is that in dentistry, a smaller, higher-trust network beats an endless list. As per-booking fees rise across the industry, that dentistry-first position has become its clearest differentiator.
Opencare is led by co-founder and CEO Cameron Howieson, who studied Computer Engineering at Queen's University and worked in software before health tech - including a stint as a senior engineering manager at Wave, the accounting-software company, and as co-founder and CTO of Vuru. Within Opencare he moved from CTO to COO to CEO.
That engineering DNA shows up in the product: patient-provider matching algorithms, insurance-aware qualification, and analytics for practices. The company has historically operated across two hubs - its Toronto headquarters and a presence in San Francisco - with a team of roughly 64 people. Its technology stack spans AWS, Salesforce, Segment, Mixpanel and more, reflecting a data-driven approach to matching and retention.
The company launches in Toronto with a mission to make finding a great dentist easy and trustworthy.
Opencare grows its curated, vetted dentist network and its pay-for-performance model for practices.
Opencare raises roughly $16M - bringing total funding to about $22.6M - to expand the marketplace.
The network reports six-figure patient volume alongside a 98% positive review rating.
As booking fees rise industry-wide, Opencare is highlighted as the purpose-built dental option.
Raised May 2018, led by 8VC. Reported figures range from $16M to $18M for the round.
May 2018Across multiple rounds from top-tier venture firms and angels.
2012–20188VC (lead), Real Ventures, Collaborative Fund, ff Venture Capital and Graph Ventures.
Cap tableOpencare is a marketplace that helps patients find, compare and book vetted dentists across North America, and helps dental practices acquire new, pre-qualified patients.
Opencare is free for patients. They can search, match with, and book dentists at no charge, and first visits can earn rewards.
Practices pay on a per-treated-patient basis - typically a few hundred dollars - only when a matched new patient actually shows up and receives care, rather than paying for clicks or listings.
Opencare focuses exclusively on dentistry and charges per treated patient, while Zocdoc is a general healthcare marketplace that typically charges per booking. Opencare also pre-qualifies patients by insurance and intent.
Opencare was founded in 2012 and is led by co-founder and CEO Cameron Howieson. It is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with a historical presence in San Francisco.