Avalon SteriTech: Lessons from a former IP lawyer as a start-up founder in biotech and AI

• Main Authors: RAJAH, Rashimah, FAN, Terence Ping Ching, LEUNG, Ricky
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2024
• Subjects: growth strategy; technological innovation; Pandemic; Data-driven Decision Making; knowledge transfer; value-based leadership; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations; Strategic Management Policy; Technology and Innovation
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/487; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/6086
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Launched in January 2020, under its parent company Avalon Biomedical Management, Avalon SteriTech was the brainchild of former Intellectual Property (IP) lawyer Lewis Ho. Ho aimed to combine his legal knowledge with biotechnology, to be part of a company that brought positive impact to society. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic provided Ho with exactly such an opportunity. By early 2020, the pandemic brought an unprecedented level of global uncertainty. Due to its proximity to mainland China, Hong Kong was among the first cities that was severely impacted by the coronavirus. Quick solutions were needed to improve public hygiene while keeping cleaning workers safe. Avalon SteriTech solved these problems by implementing automated daily disinfection in public places with high-touch surface areas. As the CEO of a new start-up, in a field he was unfamiliar with, Ho faced obstacles that included fundraising, finding new clients, and bridging knowledge gaps. Despite the obstacles, by January 2024, the start-up had several prominent clients, and an employee base of 30. It had been a steep learning curve for Ho. Looking ahead, he wondered how he could sharpen his focus as the CEO, and take the company forward. Students will learn about: - The actions required to lead a company in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment that includes fundraising, finding new clientele, bridging knowledge gaps, and talent acquisition and retention. - Leadership and management skills to help a small company thrive, when stakeholders find themselves in unfamiliar waters. - The importance of a company mission to galvanise leadership and employees, and to guide ensuing actions and transactions.