Hismile: Bootstrapping an Oral Care Industry Disruptor?

In December 2024, Nik Mirkovic and Alex Tomic, the young co-founders of the Australian teeth whitening and toothpaste brand Hismile Pty Ltd. (Hismile), had grown their company from an initial A$20,000 investment a decade earlier to A$700 million in gross sales in 2024. Headquartered on the Gold Coast, Australia, Hismile pioneered the field of smilecare through a lean, agile approach based on an intense customer focus, grassroots social media influencer campaigns, small teams, bootstrapping, and innovation. But could it continue this way even as its products appeared in major stores and pharmacies? Could Hismile continue to grow as new entrants and established players adopted its strategies? And could it replicate its success outside the field of oral care products?

The Ivey Business School and Bond University gratefully acknowledge the generous support of Derek Murphy in the development of this case.