The Entrepreneur of the Week
I bumped into Eddie a couple of years back at a networking event. At this time, he was all fired up about OKOSIX, his new game-changing sustainable business. Eddie was on a mission to develop biodegradable plastic, and let me tell you, building a sustainable gig ain't no walk in the park in a city where plastic reigns supreme.
Here is his story:
I’m a typical HK guy who has spent most of my life working and studying in Hong Kong.
However, in 2013, an exciting job opportunity presented itself, pushing me to make a life-changing decision and relocate to Australia.
My first entrepreneurial experience was in 2013. I tried to start a company in the aviation industry and named it FlyingX. At that time, I was a private pilot, and I wanted to create a flying taxi business. However, it was too early for such a concept, so the company never took off.
In 2020, when Covid-19 hit Hong Kong, I decided to start my second business — Maskology — to provide medical masks amid a shortage and fear of the emerging virus.
My goal was to protect Hong Kong people.
The business went well and we were making millions of masks every month. A year after, while I was teaching my five-year-old niece how to recycle her waste, she said to me, "Uncle Eddie, why can't you recycle your own face mask?"
That was an eye-opening moment for me because the quantity of waste generated by face mask was massive at that time. So I decided to sell Maskology.
And in February 2021, I started the company OKOSIX (The Nordic word “OKO” in OKOSIX refers to eco-friendly; “SIX” conveys that OKOSIX products can entirely decompose within six months) and began developing a disruptive technology to transform plastic-free, plant-based and natural materials to nano fibers for making surgical face masks.
We received investment from Hong Kong Government and investors to kick off the business, assembled a team of three, pursuing our dreams.
Although I had experience in synthesising organic materials — I studied physics and was a scientist before — the research and development process was not always smooth sailing.
In 2022, we had the privilege of participating in the esteemed International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2022 held in Switzerland, where we were honoured to receive the prestigious gold award for our innovative biodegradable material.
This recognition served as a testament to the hard work and dedication we put into developing a revolutionary product.
However, despite our success, we realized that there was still room for improvement.
We recognized the need to further optimize our production processes and find ways to lower the cost of manufacturing.
Over the course of two years, we devoted massive resources to refine the biodegradable material and develop several new applications, ensuring that it met industry standards, high quality, functionality and sustainability.
With our biodegradable medical mask, we reduce the decomposition time from 500 years to less than 6 months.
We can also upgrade this technology to make biodegradable cosmetic facial masks, shopping bags, air filters and even diapers so as to reduce using plastics.
In 2024, we were one of the standout companies that granted the opportunity to participate in the Startup Booster Programme in Silicon Valley 2024, organized by Hong Kong Science Park.
This is a landmark acceleration programme that we will receive intensive trainings, business development and fund-raising opportunities.
It is a significant milestone for OKOSIX as we embark on our journey towards global expansion and venture into the US market.
It serves as our first step towards establishing a strong presence in the international arena. Our vision is to not only succeed in the American market but also to expand our reach to the global market in the near future.
If you want to contact Eddie to talk about sustainability, it’s this way
Original article: Paul Muller