“Most people don’t realize that when you walk into a patient room, half of what you see is still dirty, which is scary,” said Jason Kang, co-founder of medtech company Kinnos.
Less than 50% of surfaces in healthcare settings get disinfected correctly. Completely removing debris or biofilm—a layer of microorganisms that can pose serious health risks—requires more than just a few cursory wipes. One must thoroughly cover the entire surface with disinfectant and apply pressure to effectively remove the dirt.
Kinnos, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is pioneering color technology to revolutionize infection prevention not only in healthcare settings, but also in places like laboratories, research facilities, transportation hubs, and public health and emergency response locations. Its technology, Highlight, is a color additive for existing disinfectant products, such as Clorox wipes, which temporarily colors the solution. When applied to a surface, Highlight leaves behind a bright, highly visible blue trace, which fades away automatically when force and friction are used.
“If you use proper cleaning technique, it will fade away in two to three minutes,” Kang said. “If not, the surface will remain blue, indicating it could still be dirty. It’s real-time visual feedback, and it’s been incredibly gratifying to see the behavior change. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that [our product users] are disinfecting surfaces [up to] 90% more thoroughly.”
Initially conceptualized in 2014 during the West African Ebola outbreak while Kang was still a student, Kinnos was an ambitious project developed to help healthcare workers fight the severe and often fatal disease right at the frontlines of the epidemic. But the venture was missing an essential element needed to take the company to the next level: experienced leadership.
“You have to have a certain type of mindset to be a student founder: that you can do anything, wear multiple hats, and you’re smart enough to figure it out,” said Kang. “While that is important, you gain so much more by bringing experienced people to your team.”
This shift in mindset proved crucial to the company’s trajectory.
The Lemelson Foundation, a generous and long-standing supporter of the E-Team Program, highlighted Kang’s story in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about the path Kinnos has taken through multiple pandemics to celebrating 10 years of impact.
We spoke with Kang about key steps he took to build a strong network—an instrumental step in accelerating the development of his technology, which was named one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023. He also shared advice for other early-stage founders looking to do the same.
Select Professionals With Experience for Your Leadership Team
In its early days, Kinnos consisted of young, scrappy entrepreneurs navigating the unpredictable world of a budding startup.
“We were young and inexperienced, and we made a lot of mistakes,” said Kang. “While we adapted quickly, it wasn’t until we built a leadership team with 125 years of combined experience that we truly began to accelerate.”
Carefully selecting experienced leaders provides founders with the most important resource: time. These seasoned professionals bring industry-specific expertise and pattern recognition on how to navigate difficult challenges and effectively manage a team for growth.
“When you get to the stage where you completely trust someone to manage a function, founders gain bandwidth to work on new programs, and that’s when you see businesses really start to scale,” Kang said.
When It Comes to Manufacturing, Experience Is Critical
For emerging hardware startups, there are several factors to consider when prototyping, including material selection, durability, and user-friendliness. “There’s a difference between modeling something out in Solidworks [CAD software] that technically gets the job done, versus something that is injection moldable and can withstand thousands of cycles of use,” said Kang.
Ongoing feedback from an experienced hardware engineer with a vested interest in the company’s success can offer valuable perspective during the design phase.
“Bring in someone onto your team, ideally in-house, who has launched multiple hardware products and knows how to factor in supply chain, design-for-manufacture, and quality,” Kang said. “You might think it’s expensive, but they’ve already learned from years of seeing what works and making mistakes, so you don’t have to learn them for yourself—which is far more costly.”
Kinnos also recommends working with manufacturers that have partnered with innovative startups in the past. Sometimes, these manufacturers are willing to be flexible and accommodate order changes, offer recommendations for design improvements, and push back when certain changes could compromise quality standards.
Tap Your Investors for Warm Referrals to Other Potential Partners or New Hires
One of Kinnos’ early investors introduced the team to a venture fund. While the fund wasn’t the right fit, it connected Kinnos with a potential mentor. This individual is now the company’s board chair. The referrals didn’t stop there. The board chair later connected the Kinnos team with a seasoned operator from one of their prior companies. This individual, who now serves as the company’s chief operating officer, in turn introduced the team to two additional manufacturers with whom he had previously worked on multiple successful projects.
“When you bring in someone experienced, they bring their own network with them,” said Kang. This can lead to fruitful partnerships and even potential hires as the company grows.
“Keep an open mind when networking,” Kang said. “It’s always worth asking at the end of a call if there’s anyone else in that person’s network they think would be worth talking to.” Every connection could lead to a referral and another addition to your broadening network.
Participate in an Accelerator Program To Broaden Your Network Further
After completing both phases of the E-Team Program, Kang participated in Aspire in 2017 alongside other seed-stage startups, where Kinnos received in-depth training over five weeks to navigate the complexities of investor engagement. This was an important stepping stone for Kang, who not only gained mentorship from medtech investors but also formed valuable connections with fellow entrepreneurs.
“It’s easy for founders to feel imposter syndrome,” said Kang. “The journeys can be so different, especially for hardware companies versus software companies. It helps to connect with other entrepreneurs who understand where you’re coming from and the challenges you’re facing.”
Read our report celebrating 10 years of Aspire, which highlights how the program has helped startup founders engage with investors and secure the seed funding needed to bring their innovations to market.
Kinnos’ journey from a student-led venture to a globally recognized medtech company underscores the importance of adaptability, strategic leadership, and a strong network. By bringing in experienced professionals, forming key manufacturing partnerships, leveraging investor connections, and participating in accelerator programs, the company has positioned itself for sustained impact in infection prevention.
As Kinnos celebrates a decade of innovation, its success serves as an inspiration for emerging entrepreneurs looking to transform breakthrough ideas into scalable solutions.
Are you a startup founder preparing for investor engagement? Learn more about the Aspire program.