By starting to develop, in 2021, a biodegradable fabric capable of neutralizing bacteria and viruses, researchers at startup Protech, from São Carlos, initially envisioned an obvious market for the application of the material in times of a covid-19 pandemic: that of protective face masks.
After participating in the 20th Pipe Empreendedor Program (High-Tech Entrepreneurship Training Program), the company’s founder, Thiers Massami Uehara, identified, however, that the technology can have several other applications.
“We found that the filter fabric can be used, in addition to face masks, also in surgical gowns, air conditioning filtering systems in aircraft, hospitals and industries, as well as in infant and geriatric diapers and intimate absorbents” said.
He made the statement during the closing event of the training, held in May 2022. According to the researcher, the fabric with high filtration that they are developing with the support of Pipe (Programa FAPESP Pesquisa Inovativa em Pequenas Empresas) is composed of nanostructured fibers that decompose in a much shorter period than the materials used commercially, in addition to having biocidal property (which kills living organisms).
The material is obtained through silver nanoparticles deposited on polymeric fibers on a nanometer scale (a billionth of a meter), produced using a technique called solution blow spinning.
Tests carried out in the virology laboratory of the Institute of Biology at Unicamp (State University of Campinas) indicated that the material proved to be capable of eliminating the coronavirus. “ With this report, we were able to start publicizing the application of this filtering blanket to other market segments” said Uehara.
Based on the 100 interviews they conducted during Pipe Empreendedor with health professionals, as well as quality and innovation managers and analysts in the personal care and personal protective equipment segments, Protech entrepreneurs changed the Canvas business model of The company also reached the conclusion that they will maintain the initial focus on marketing the product for the face masks and surgical gowns segment.
“We intend to establish partnerships with consolidated companies in this segment and, later, expand the application to air conditioning filters for aircraft, automobiles and the food and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to infant, geriatric diapers and intimate absorbents” said Uehara.
According to data presented by the researcher, before the covid-19 pandemic, the surgical mask market was valued at US$ 3 billion, with an average annual production of 1.1 billion units. In Brazil, it handled approximately US$ 35 million in 2019 with the sale of more than 27.4 million units of masks per year.
“There are still no exact estimates of the value of this market after the pandemic, but it has obviously increased a lot” said the researcher.
Business model validation
According to FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo), helping startups such as Protech, which are in Phase 1 of Pipe – of technical feasibility analysis –, knowing, in fact, who their customers are, is one of the objectives of the Pipe Empreendedor training, offered by the foundation since 2016.
For this, participants are encouraged during the training to interview at least 100 potential customers, partners and users of the technology they are developing in order to validate their business models.
“Over the years, it became clear to us that, if on the one hand the technology aspect of the PIPE program is very strong and well evaluated, on the other hand, many of the supported projects lacked a clearer understanding of who the customers, competitors and the business model” said Luiz Eugênio Mello, scientific director of FAPESP.
“This training fills that gap by allowing participants to identify potential customers and find out if the technology they are developing will be relevant to the market.”
During the 12 weeks of training, representatives of companies participating in the 20th edition of the program carried out almost 2,000 interviews with potential customers.
“In addition to the support received for the research project, through Pipe Empreendedor, participating companies are encouraged to have good business plans, to be able to commercialize the results, generate cash, jobs and be successful throughout their careers” said Carlos Américo Pacheco, director-president of the CTA (Technical-Administrative Council) of FAPESP.
With information from Agência Fapesp.