Corus Orthodontists Secures C$20M on Doctor-First Growth Blueprint

CALGARY, Alberta – February 02, 2026 – Corus Orthodontists, a rapidly growing North American network of orthodontic practices, has secured a C$20 million equity investment, marking a significant vote of confidence in its unique, practitioner-focused business model. The funding round, the company's first from institutional investors, was led by the private equity arm of ATB Financial and includes a substantial co-investment from a prominent, undisclosed Canadian family office.

The capital injection is poised to accelerate Corus's expansion across Canada and the United States, providing fresh resources to invest in its partner clinics, technology, and recruitment of new Doctor-Partners. More importantly, the deal validates a partnership model that champions clinical autonomy in an industry increasingly grappling with corporate consolidation.

A New Blueprint for Growth

At the heart of Corus's strategy is a 'doctor-led partnership model' that stands in contrast to more traditional, top-down corporate structures. The company, founded in 2019 by a collective of 18 orthodontists, operates as a network where doctor-partners retain clinical leadership and a significant stake in their collective success. This approach aims to preserve the integrity of local practices while providing the benefits of scale, including shared resources, expertise, and administrative support.

“This investment reinforces our belief that long-term success comes from putting doctors first, supporting great practices and their patients, and growing in a disciplined, sustainable way,” said Dean Prevost, CEO of Corus, in a statement. The company reports this strategy has already yielded impressive results, citing “two years of double-digit organic growth across our network.”

This model is designed to be the best of both worlds for practitioners. It alleviates the administrative and financial burdens of solo practice ownership, which often bog down clinicians, while avoiding the potential loss of professional independence associated with becoming an employee in a large corporate chain. By fostering a collaborative environment, partners can focus on patient care and clinical excellence, supported by a robust operational backbone. This structure has proven to be a powerful magnet for attracting what Prevost calls “growth-minded Doctor-Partners.”

A Market Ripe for Investment

The C$20 million investment arrives at a pivotal moment for the North American orthodontic market. The industry is experiencing a massive upswing, with one market analysis projecting the global market to surge from USD 7.4 billion in 2024 to over USD 20 billion by 2034. The U.S. market is a particularly powerful engine of this growth, valued at over USD 4.3 billion and projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate exceeding 20% in the coming years.

Several factors are fueling this boom. A growing cultural emphasis on aesthetics and wellness has made orthodontic treatment more common among adults, who now represent a dominant market segment. Technological advancements, from discreet clear aligners to AI-driven treatment planning and 3D imaging, have made treatment more effective, accessible, and appealing than ever before.

This high-growth, recession-resilient environment has not gone unnoticed by private equity. The orthodontic sector is currently considered fragmented, with estimates suggesting only about 10% of practices are part of a consolidated group. This presents a significant opportunity for investors looking to back platforms that can successfully scale and capture market share. Corus's successful funding round is a clear signal that institutional capital sees immense potential in models that can effectively organize this fragmented landscape.

Strategic Capital and 'Progressive Liquidity'

Corus was highly selective in choosing its financial backers, seeking partners who understood its long-term vision. The choice of ATB Financial's Private Equity arm, a fund known for taking minority stakes and supporting Alberta-based companies with a patient, long-term approach, reflects this strategy. The investment, while significant, is consistent with ATB PE's philosophy of providing growth capital rather than pursuing outright control.

“Our partnership with Corus is informed by experience from past, crystallized minority healthcare platform investments that delivered strong outcomes,” noted Jan Cerny, Managing Director with ATB PE. “We see similar ingredients for success here—an engaged doctor partnership network, a management team with a proven track record in scaling companies, a clear strategy, and the potential for multiple avenues for growth.”

Crucially, the deal structure is designed to support what Corus calls a “progressive equity strategy.” This model provides a pathway for existing Doctor-Partners to achieve partial liquidity, converting some of their equity into cash without having to sell their entire practice or relinquish their stake in the network's future. This 'second bite of the apple' approach is a powerful incentive, allowing doctors to de-risk their personal finances while remaining invested in the long-term value they are helping to create. For investors, this structure ensures that the network’s most valuable assets—its experienced and engaged practitioners—remain aligned and motivated for future growth.

Balancing Braces and the Balance Sheet

With new capital comes the pressure to deliver returns, raising a critical question for any rapidly expanding healthcare network: can clinical excellence be maintained amidst aggressive growth? Corus's leadership insists its model is built to manage this exact tension. By keeping clinicians at the center of governance and decision-making, the company aims to ensure that patient care is never compromised for the sake of hitting expansion targets.

“They understand how to help build strong businesses the right way, through disciplined growth, smart investment, and long-term thinking,” Corus Board Chair Alan Torrie said of the new investors. This shared belief in a sustainable approach, he added, is rooted in the “alignment, simplicity, and trust” that has been central to the company since its inception.

As Corus prepares to deploy its C$20 million war chest to welcome new practices across North America, its doctor-led model will face its biggest test yet. The challenge will be to integrate new partners and scale operations without diluting the collaborative culture and commitment to clinical quality that attracted investors in the first place. Successfully navigating this next phase of growth could not only secure Corus’s position as a market leader but also solidify its model as the definitive blueprint for the future of orthodontic practice.