In 2020, as it was becoming clear the world was in for a long fight with COVID-19, Avon serial entrepreneur Chris Allen saw an opportunity.
He had recharged after selling iGrill and iDevices to Hubbell Inc., the Shelton-based manufacturer of electrical and electronic products. Along the way, he’d been an advisor to ReadyDock, the first chemical-free device disinfectant system. He bought the company in 2020 and rebranded it — naturally — as iCleanse.
His vision was to focus on disinfecting mobile phones. They’re as filthy as they are ubiquitous, he explains. We use them while we eat and in the bathroom. The result is an astonishing 26,000 bacteria per square inch.
Who could pass up a chance to disinfect one in 15 seconds?
As solid as that plan sounded in 2020, by the time the Swift UV units were ready to ship in May 2021, that landscape had changed. Vaccines had arrived and COVID fatigue was setting in.
When Allen announced the product on his LinkedIn account, some of his connections smelled an April Fool’s prank. He assured them it was a real product.
But it was soon time to pivot. The iCleanse units had to offer more than a clean phone.
The answer, Allen decided, was to incorporate a digital advertising component. The concept is similar to the video news and advertising clips that entertain motorists while they fuel their cars.
Much like the driver monitoring refueling, the phone owner isn’t going to walk away while the iCleanse works its magic — Allen recognizes that captive consumer has value.
And 15 seconds is the “sweet spot” of advertising, Allen said.
In a retail setting, for example, a merchant could point out specials in the store and share in the unit’s ad revenue, all in exchange for about a square foot of floor space. Hotels, restaurants and airports are other target areas, Allen said.
The revenue model depends on building the number of eyeballs watching the screens, and that means expanding from an anticipated 2,200 units in 2023 to 4,400 in 2024. At that rate, Allen anticipates surpassing 15,000 units in 2026 and that should be enough to unlock national advertising dollars.
Capital application
Today, iCleanse units are in operation at the Connecticut Science Center, St. Francis Hospital and District New Haven. They debuted at Bradley International Airport in early March.
As much as Allen’s focus is on the digital advertising aspect of the business, he said iCleanse has disinfected 5 million devices and is gaining traction in medical facilities, from doctor’s offices to neonatal units. He reports being in early talks with Kaiser Permanente about bringing iCleanse units to the national hospital network.
There’s also an international market to grow. Allen said units are already at work in the United Kingdom and in Italy.
In addition to the Swift UV, iCleanse makes four larger units designed for disinfecting multiple phone and tablet devices simultaneously in an office or industrial setting. He said all the iCleanse units are sourced with American parts — many from Connecticut — and assembled in Deep River.
The units use UV-C light that kills 99.9% of pathogens, yet is safe for the device. The light source has an expected life of five years.
For 2023, the challenge will be maximizing capital application, which means making sure there’s a strong return for every dollar invested in building the product, Allen said.
ICleanse has been largely self funded, but Allen said he had to borrow some money last fall. He’d like to raise more from venture investors, but not in the current market conditions. That could be a possibility by the fourth quarter, Allen said.
He declined to disclose revenue figures.