How Two Entrepreneurs Used Social Media to Create a Multi-million Dollar Teeth-whitening Brand

It was during a casual dinner in 2014 that childhood friends Alex Tomic and Nik Mirkovic decided to create a teeth-whitening brand. Little did they know that their brainchild, HiSmile, which they started by pooling savings of 20,000 Australian dollars ($15,000), would make them two of Australia’s youngest self-made multimillionaires and part of the Forbes’ 2018 30 Under 30 rich list—all in a span of less than four years.

The Gold Coast residents Tomic, 25, and Mirkovic, 23, say HiSmile was born out of their observations of the oral cosmetics industry, and they noticed the absence of brand and focus in the market. This is why “we felt we had a unique approach to tackling one of the world’s biggest industries.”

Future-proof

The duo, who have been friends for the past 10 years, have no background in entrepreneurship but looking at the success of HiSmile, which ships worldwide at-home teeth-whitening kits—its $65 flagship product that includes a mouth tray, three gel tubes and a LED light—and other products like mouthwash, gels and toothpaste, they seem to be on the right track. “We are both ambitious, competitive and love to push harder, and we are here for the long haul,” says Tomic. Read more

Pooja Singh - Entrepreneur - 31 July 2018