Kinnos

About Kinnos

Kinnos is a New York-based company focused on raising the standard of infectious disease decontamination. The firm was founded in 2014 by Columbia University undergraduates Jason Kang, Katherine Jin, and Kevin Tyan. The idea originated from a university design challenge to create low-cost solutions for the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa, where ineffective disinfection was leading to high infection rates among healthcare workers. Kang's background in biomedical engineering and experience bringing a medical device to clinical trials in Bangladesh informed the company's direction. The team realized the core problem wasn't the disinfectant itself, but the inability to see where the transparent liquid had been applied, leading to missed spots.

Kinnos developed Highlight, a patented technology that adds a visible color to disinfectants, allowing users to see coverage in real-time. The company's flagship product is a powder additive or a dispenser device that colorizes existing, commercially available disinfectants like bleach, quaternary ammonium, and hydrogen peroxide-based products. For disinfectant wipes, a device resembling a printer cartridge attaches to the canister and 'prints' the blue color onto the wipe as it is dispensed. The color, typically bright blue, visually confirms which surfaces have been treated and then fades to colorless after a few minutes, indicating that the disinfectant is active and preventing stains. This system provides immediate feedback on application technique, helping to train users and ensure thoroughness. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that using Highlight can improve cleaning quality by as much as 95% and reduce bioburden by over 69%.

The company operates on a for-profit basis, generating revenue through the sale of its Highlight products. Its primary market includes healthcare systems, where the technology helps combat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), a significant cause of patient mortality and financial costs. Beyond hospitals, Kinnos serves first responders, such as the FDNY, and transit agencies like the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The company has raised a total of $32.3 million over five funding rounds, with its latest Series A round in May 2023 bringing in $15 million. Key investors include Kapor Center, Prolog Ventures, and the Partnership Fund for New York City. The technology has received recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO) as an innovative health technology for low-resource settings.