We tend to talk mostly with software startups about commercialization and sales. What do things look like for a startup selling a physical product? And a physical product that’s very relevant during the pandemic at that?
That’s exactly what Jason Kang and the team at Kinnos are doing right now. Kinnos’ product, Highlight®, colors bleach, and bleach wipes bright blue, providing instant visual confirmation of coverage, then fades in minutes to remind users of contact time. Studies show using Highlight for Bleach Wipes for just a few weeks can improve cleaning scores by 70%.
Given that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, and cleaning and safety are top of mind, it would seem that this is Kinnos’ time to shine. And while that’s true, commercialization in healthcare is hard. We talk through what’s worked, and what’s not in terms of getting the attention of hospital buyers including a sample technique that yielded 70+ leads in a very short time.
There are a lot of go-to-market lessons in Kinnos’ story and we extract them for you. All the while, giving you a bit of an education in infection prevention and a lead on a valuable new product that you can share with your colleagues.
Jason Kang
Jason Kang studied Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University as an Egleston Scholar and graduated Tau Beta Pi. Jason has previously conducted research at Harvard Medical School and Columbia University, worked on automating life sciences research at Transcriptic, and served as the VP of Engineering at Jibon Health Technologies, where he brought a medical device to clinical trials in Bangladesh. For his work in global health, Jason has served as a two-time U.S. Delegate at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Bluhm/Helfand Social Innovation Fellow, Kairos Society Fellow, and AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador. Jason is also on the Board of Columbia Engineering Young Alumni.
Kinnos
Kinnos’ product, Highlight®, colors bleach and bleach wipes bright blue, providing instant visual confirmation of coverage, then fades in minutes to remind users of contact time. Studies show using Highlight for Bleach Wipes for just a few weeks can improve cleaning scores by 70%. Proven to quantifiably improve cleaning thoroughness, the colorant is setting a new standard for patient safety. By helping users visualize surface coverage, Highlight empowers users to monitor themselves. Highlight is available for bleach wipes and sprays, and is launching a version for quaternary ammonium wipes in mid 2022.
Since its 2014 inception by three Columbia undergrads as a tool to protect Ebola healthcare workers, Kinnos boasts over two dozen patents and many more pending in multiple countries. It has grown to a 15-employee startup working with nationwide and international distributors. Kinnos’ accolades include Med Tech Outlook’s Top Infection Control Solution Providers, Forbes 30 Under 30 in Healthcare, the USPTO Patents for Humanity Award, Winner of the USAID Fighting Ebola Grand Challenge, the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge, and the Unite for Sight Global Health & Innovation Conference Prize, and they were recently named a Best Infection Prevention Product by Newsweek for the 2nd year in a row.
- Web: https://kinnos.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kinnos-inc-/
- Twitter: @KinnosInc
- Facebook, Instagram: @KinnosInc
- Video: go.kinnos.com/2min-video
- Brochure: go.kinnos.com/brochure-2021
How can you help?
Since the onset of the pandemic, a years-long downward trend in hospital-acquired infections has reversed. It’s now trending back up. Do you or someone you know work in healthcare? Share this podcast with them, many of whom are seeking tools to improve hospital disinfection and fight healthcare-associated infections.
Related Content
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- The GBAC-TIPS Deep Dive Interview Series – interviews with the greatest minds in global health.
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- Episode 103: Selling to Health Systems: Advice for Digital Health Startups (Part 1)
- Episode 105: Selling to Health Systems: Advice for Digital Health Startups (Part 2)
- Episode 85: Lessons on Selling in Healthcare w/ Dom Cappuccilli
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