As disinfectant wipes and sprays flew off grocery store shelves last year during the start of the pandemic, consumers and businesses sought other ways to clean frequently touched surfaces. Some dental offices began using UV lights to disinfect the area between each patient, and the Austin Convention Center began using the technology in January to keep people safe and help with daily cleaning.
UV radiation technology has been used for more than 40 years to disinfect various surfaces and items, according to the International Ultraviolet Association, but became increasingly popular during the pandemic. Chuck Morrison, CEO and founder of INVZBL, began designing a new product in 2018 that would disinfect various items at one time using UV radiation. His first products launched late last year.
INVZBL uses UV radiation to disinfect any non-living item, such as laptops, gaming systems, cell phones, tablets and masks. Users wipe down items with an INVZBL wipe, place the item in one of INVZBL’s containers for three minutes, then remove and use them. The UV radiation kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19.
Recently, INVZBL also relocated from North Carolina to Austin.
“There’s an energy and entrepreneurial spirit here that I can’t describe,” Morrison said. “And only being here for a month, I’ve already made some really fast friends. ... It’s competitive, but I get the feeling that everybody wants to help each other.”
Morrison said recruitment has also been easy in Austin. This week INVZBL hired two more people growing to a team of seven. He plans to hire 25 to 50 new employees over the next year. New positions include customer success and support, sales, marketing, operations and human resources.
INZBL currently has two products ranging from $5,000 to $7,500.
