PrimeTech's 'Multipurpose UV Sterilizer' Gains Popularity Amid Expansion of 'COVID-19 Daily Quarantine' Measures

[Startups Nurtured by Seoul City] Support for Startup Hubs, Overseas Expos, and Crowdfunding

Yoonjoo Kim, CEO of PrimeTech

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Kim Yoon-joo, CEO of Prime Tech, started her own business after searching for necessary childcare products while raising her child. Although there are devices for sterilizing baby bottles or small toys, there was no suitable sterilization method for bulky items like strollers, which was frustrating. At that moment, she thought, "This is it," and immediately put her idea into action.

Kim personally filed a patent, worked on the design, found a manufacturer, and launched the multipurpose ultraviolet sterilizer "Vray." The product emits ultraviolet light from a long arch-shaped device, allowing users to slowly move it over the area to be sterilized or place it over the item to be disinfected. It first gained attention in overseas markets, and this year, sales have accelerated due to the special demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim said, "Previously, Vray was mainly purchased by families with children or by department stores and hotels to sterilize products or shared facilities. Recently, orders have flooded in from general offices, public institutions, schools, academies, kindergartens, daycare centers, hospitals, and health clubs, resulting in sales more than ten times higher in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year."

Kim, who founded the company in 2015, completed product development through Seoul City's "Technology Commercialization Support Project" in 2017 and began exporting the following year. Although the manufacturing plant is located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, moving into the Seoul Startup Hub in 2018 provided the advantage of having an office in a transportation hub without rental burdens, enabling active business operations.

Despite not securing a large domestic market, Kim diligently attended various overseas exhibitions supported by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) to gauge market reactions. She said, "The overseas exhibitions organized by SBA cover almost 100% of booth operation costs, interpretation, and logistics, so we only had to pay for airfare and accommodation. We actively promoted our products to buyers visiting the Korean pavilion at events such as the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, Mega Show, Germany's International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA), and various baby product exhibitions." Currently, exports are made to eight countries worldwide.

Next month, the company will introduce a toothbrush sterilizer using ultraviolet C wavelength through the crowdfunding platform Wadiz. This project is also part of Seoul City's crowdfunding support program. Kim said, "Even in the manufacturing sector, which many startups tend to avoid, success is possible by finding niche markets and differentiating functions and designs. Moving forward, we will focus on introducing products that improve living environments and enhance quality of life in line with our raised living standards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.