Bite Tech Inc., a Minneapolis-based “performance mouthwear” maker, has raised $6.9 million from the sale of debt, according to Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company, whose investors include Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson and NHL Hall of Famer Brett Hull, claims its technology can boost athletic performance by preventing the jaw and teeth from clamping down on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Pressure on the TMJ joint, Bite Tech claims, signals the body’s hypothalamus gland to produce excess amounts of stress hormones like cortisol, causing fatigue and distraction. Dental experts, however, say there is no independent evidence to directly support this, and more research is needed.
Nevertheless, Bite Tech has signed a number of high-profile athletes in football, hockey and baseball to not only use the product but invest in the company. Hull, who played for the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, sits on the board of the directors and is listed in the SEC filing. The mouthguard has even made appearances in TV shows like “Cougar Town” and “Entourage.”
Patterson Dental in St. Paul distributes the mouth guard, which is sold under the Under Armour athletic brand, to dentists around the country.
