We Build the Training Systems That Make Dental Radiography Predictable.
GAIA Biomodels is a veterinary education company focused on one thing: helping veterinary teams take consistent, diagnostic full-mouth radiographs without learning on anaesthetised patients or cadavers.
We combine hyper-realistic simulation models with structured online training, defined protocols, and performance accountability. The result is a complete system that turns dental radiography from a person-dependent skill into a team-wide clinical standard.
Javier Sanz — GAIA’s founder, proudly showing Betty during a practical training.
GAIA started with a moment many will recognise.
That moment sparked the idea behind GAIA.
As a vet student, I’d built a 3D printing lab that created training models for my university. I already knew simulation worked. The question was where to point it.
Working alongside veterinary dentists gave me the answer. Advanced procedures had no safe, repeatable way to practise outside of cadavers or live patients. When Rachael joined GAIA we dove deeper into the dental field together. And the real gap turned out to be bigger than either of us expected.
It wasn’t the complex procedures. It was dental radiography — the most fundamental diagnostic step in dentistry — where thousands of clinics had X-ray machines but no structured way to train their teams to use them.
Betty came first — a canine simulation model that let teams practise dental radiography off-patient for the first time. Then Mr. Domino, her feline counterpart. Teams could finally repeat views endlessly, without anaesthesia, without pressure.
That solved the first problem: how to practise.
But practise alone wasn’t enough. Teams needed a way to learn — structured, step by step — and a way to standardise, so everyone in the clinic could reach the same level using their own equipment, at their own pace.
That’s how the system was born.
See one. Simulate many. Standardise.
Today we work with independent clinics, corporate groups, and universities across the UK and Europe. The mission hasn’t changed since that day in theatre — but the ambition has. We’re not just training teams. We’re changing how dentistry is learnt.
What We Stand For
Simulation Before Patients
Learn on models — not on someone’s anaesthetised pet. In aviation, human surgery, and critical care, you simulate before you touch a real case. If you can make a hundred learning mistakes while hurting zero animals — why wouldn’t you?
Systems Over Talent
Every clinic has one person who’s “good with teeth.” When they’re off sick, dental days fall apart. We don’t build training for champions. We build systems that make everyone competent — so your standard doesn’t walk out the door at 5pm.
Results Over Features
Every model, every module, and every protocol exists because it moves the needle on clinical performance. If something doesn’t make your team faster, more confident, or more consistent — off it goes.
Built for Teams That Take Dentistry Seriously
Veterinary Clinics
You own the X-ray unit. You know full-mouth studies should be standard. But they take too long, quality varies by who’s in theatre, and every new hire starts from zero. We give your whole team a structured path from uncertain to confident — without pulling anyone off the rota.
Veterinary Groups
You need the same standard across every site — not a different approach in every branch. We give you centralised reporting, CPD certification, and a rollout that scales without pulling teams off the floor.
Universities & Training Centres
Your students need hands-on repetition that lectures alone can’t provide. Our simulation models and structured curriculum integrate into existing programmes — so students practise positioning safely and repeatedly before they ever touch a patient.
The People Behind GAIA
Javier Sanz
Founder & DirectorJavier is a veterinary surgeon who got tired of watching teams struggle with dentistry — including himself. As a student, he built Europe’s first 3D printing laboratory for veterinary applications at the Veterinary University in Madrid. He founded GAIA to close a profession-wide gap: thousands of clinics with X-ray machines and no structured way to train teams to use them. Today he leads GAIA’s product vision and market strategy, focused on one outcome: making dental radiography predictable, safe, and team-wide.
Jose Argudo
Co-Founder & COOJose is an economist specialising in R&D and innovation management across public and private sectors. At GAIA, he oversees operations, business development, and commercial strategy — making sure the company doesn’t just build great training tools, but gets them into the hands of the clinics that need them. His background in managing innovation programmes means he thinks in systems: scalable delivery, sustainable pricing, and market alignment.
Rachael Bacon
Head of Educational Innovation & Product DesignRachael is a veterinary nurse and educator who joined GAIA just before Betty was born. With years of hands-on experience, she understands the challenges veterinary professionals face — not in theory, but because she’s lived them. She leads the development of all educational products, combining simulation-based learning with practical clinical knowledge to make complex techniques accessible and repeatable. Rachael’s work is driven by a simple belief: better training leads to better care, and ultimately, better outcomes for patients.
Alberto Cano
Lead 3D Modeller & DesignerAlberto is a 3D artist with a strong background in character design and medical product modelling. At GAIA, he brings training concepts to life, creating the highly accurate anatomical models and interactive virtual simulations at the heart of the system. His work sits at the intersection of art and science — with a focus on both form and function, he ensures each biomodel works as a genuine training tool, not just a visual replica.
Guided by Experience
Derek O’Carroll
SaaS CEO & Angel InvestorDerek is an experienced SaaS CEO and angel investor specialising in product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and driving successful acquisitions. With a background in leading high-growth tech companies, he brings strategic insight to GAIA on scaling operations, optimising business models, and entering new markets. His experience in shaping teams and navigating complex commercial landscapes helps ensure GAIA grows as a business at the same pace it grows as a product.
Dr. Jerzy Gawor
President, WSAVA · Dipl. AVDC, DEVDC FAVD DVM PhD · Medical Director Klinika ArkaDr. Jerzy Gawor is a globally recognised authority in veterinary dentistry, with over 30 years of experience in clinical practice and academia, and recently elected President of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). His contributions to the field have set new benchmarks in veterinary dental health. As an advisor to GAIA, Jerzy provides expertise in the development of dental training models that are both educationally rigorous and practically applicable, ensuring that what we teach is accurate, current, and clinically relevant.
Dr. Magdalena Wilczek
Resident in Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery · Rowe ReferralsMagdalena is a dentistry-focused referral clinician and resident with a career-long passion for veterinary dentistry and a growing commitment to dental education across Europe. At GAIA, she provides hands-on quality assurance — testing every model for anatomical accuracy, clinical practicality, and durability, and reviewing training content against current evidence-based standards.
Dr. Alexis Santana
Veterinary Cardiologist & Endovascular Therapy Pioneer · Co-Founder, AniCura Albea HospitalDr. Alexis Santana is a veterinary cardiologist and professor specialising in cardiorespiratory medicine and endovascular therapy. His work in minimally invasive surgery and his experience as an educator bring a cross-disciplinary perspective to GAIA, particularly on how simulation-based training translates to real clinical performance. Alexis’s involvement reflects a shared belief: that complex procedures become more accessible when the training is structured properly.
And Then There’s Gaia.
Chief Morale OfficerEvery company needs someone who keeps morale high, enforces regular breaks, and ensures no snack goes unattended. Gaia is 2 years old, was born with dental malocclusion (yes, the irony isn’t lost on us), and takes her role extremely seriously. Her responsibilities include quality-checking every prototype with a thorough sniff, supervising packing with maximum tail involvement, and reminding the team that the best ideas come after a good walk.
She is, by all accounts, running the place.
Dental Radiography Should Be a Standard, Not a Struggle.
See how GAIA’s training system can help your team take consistent, diagnostic full-mouth radiographs in under 20 minutes.