With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Christina Drake and the team at Kismet Technologies LLC thought the firm’s spray solution would be most applicable as a general surface disinfectant.
However, they found the spray worked against a wide array of bacteria and viruses, potentially making it suitable for fighting hospital-acquired infections, Drake, founder and owner of Orlando-based Kismet, told Orlando Business Journal. There is a need for such a solution, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates one in 31 hospital patients on any given day has at least one health facility-related infection.
Kismet will target hospitals once it gets its product, called NanoRad, approved by the federal government. This summer, the 2-year-old company based at the University of Central Florida Research Park Incubator will start the regulatory approval process for its nanotechnology-based disinfectant. The rapid advancement of Kismet’s research means the firm needs to grow, Drake said. “Development is outpacing what we can do manpower-wise.”
As a result, Kismet this year is raising investment dollars and expanding its team. In February, the company landed $250,000 from Lawrence Yoo, a North Carolina businessman, pastor and family friend of Drake. Plus, Kismet in May launched a fundraising campaign with Orlando-based Miventure Inc. Mivenutre’s app allows startups to crowd-raise early-stage investment dollars, and Kismet is seeking $25,000 to hire a full-time engineer.
“Startups are looking for alternative ways to raise funding,” said Miventure CEO Jason Crystal. “Christina Drake has an incredible company.”
Drake said she also hopes to raise a large investment round from the National Science Foundation. It is important for young companies to tap these resources and more when trying to secure capital, according to Carol Ann Dykes Logue, director of programs and operations at UCF’s Innovation Districts and Incubation Program. “Very early in a company’s growth, it’s critical to utilize every resource possible to find the funding needed to grow.”
In addition to adding an engineer to the staff of three full-time employees, these funds will help Kismet hire consultants and conduct third-party lab tests of NanoRad, Drake said.
The growth of innovative small businesses is important for Central Florida, as those firms can add high-wage jobs and create economic impact as they scale. Startups also create solutions for businesses, help develop a community and make it easier for other new companies to form in the future.
Sign up here for our free morning and afternoon daily newsletters. And be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
