Aalok Y. Shukla

Aalok Yashwant Shukla (born 1979) is a British dentist and entrepreneur, known for co-founding Implement AI and Instant Dentist.

Early life and education

Shukla earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2003 and a Postgraduate Diploma in Prosthodontics at King’s College London in 2013. His mother, Harsha Y. Shukla, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2015 for services to interfaith relations.

Career

Shukla founded Alkali Dental Studios, a dental practice in Putney, London, in 2009.

He later co-founded Straight Teeth Direct, a teledentistry platform offering remote orthodontic treatment using clear aligners. The company participated in the Founders Factory accelerator programme in 2018 and was a finalist in the Hottest HealthTech Startup category at The Europas Awards in 2019.

In 2019, Shukla co-founded Instant Dentist, a platform for remote dental assessments.

In 2023, Shukla co-founded Implement AI with Piers Linney. The company develops artificial intelligence software for small and medium-sized enterprises. The company received £250,000 seed funding in 2024 and a £1.3 million funding round in 2025. Implement AI was named AI Start-Up of the Year at the UK Startup Awards in 2025.

Shukla has participated in industry events, including the NOAH Conference (2019), Technology for Marketing (2024), and an event hosted by the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (2025). He has also appeared on industry-related podcasts, including Dentology, Dentaltown, and Dentistry Online.