CleanSlate UV Announces $7 Million Series A Financing Led by Prolog Ventures
Funding will be used to meet growing market demand for mobile device hygiene solutions amidst COVID-19 crisis
TORONTO, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CleanSlate UV, an infection control startup offering a hospital-grade, chemical-free sanitizer for mobile devices, today announced the US$7 million initial close of a new financing round. Used primarily by doctors, nurses, and visitors in healthcare settings, the CleanSlate sanitizers safely prevent mobile devices from spreading disease-causing pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling high demand not only in the company's core healthcare market but also in food processing, biotechnology, hospitality, and corporate environments.
Prolog Ventures, a venture capital firm that backs health and wellness startups, led the round with an investment of US$6 million from the Prolog Lonza fund, a VC vehicle created in partnership with Lonza Specialty Ingredients, a world leader in microbial control solutions.
CleanSlate UV's chemical-free sanitizer uses ultra-violet light to kill bacteria and viruses on cell phones and other devices. It takes just 20 seconds, can sanitize multiple phones per cycle, and requires no user training. The company's new software suite can also leverage automatic RFID scanning to provide auditable compliance reports for facility-owned devices.
"CleanSlate UV has seen incredible growth over the past two years. Mobile device hygiene was a major concern even before the COVID-19 crisis but has now taken on greater importance inside and outside healthcare. We are grateful for this validation by our investors and remain committed to meeting today's accelerated trajectory while expanding to serve new industries and geographies," said Taylor Mann, CEO and co-founder of CleanSlate UV. "We also plan to advance the commercialization of our RFID-enabled compliance software, to meet the need of healthcare systems to adhere to the increasingly rigorous regulations of JCAHO and other agencies. We are excited to offer this tool to healthcare providers to help them meet new guidelines."
Infection control is a critical priority for healthcare facilities, especially in high-traffic areas such as nursing stations, staff rooms, and entranceways. Hospital staff move from task to task quickly throughout the day and bring cellphones and tablets to most patient visits. Each mobile device is a potential vector for transmitting disease-causing pathogens and, when not properly sanitized, can undermine hand hygiene and increase the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
"As the use of mobile devices continues to increase, so does the risk of those devices spreading infections. CleanSlate UV offers a safe and user-friendly way to help manage this risk," said Lindsay Freeman Avagliano, Principal at Prolog Ventures. "Infection control and prevention is a critical focus area for the Prolog Lonza fund. We are excited to work with the CleanSlate UV team to combat the spread of infection in healthcare and other commercial settings."
Frank Stahl, Head of Microbial Control Solutions at Lonza, added, "Demand is growing for alternatives to chemical-based disinfection, and we are excited to support CleanSlate UV's proprietary approach to using ultra-violet light. Evaluating different options for sanitization and integrating them into comprehensive hygiene protocols is part of our innovation strategy. We look forward to working with CleanSlate UV and its talented team."
As part of this financing, Lindsay Freeman Avagliano and Rob Rosenberg from Prolog Ventures will join the CleanSlate UV Board of Directors.
About CleanSlate UV
CleanSlate UV was founded in 2014 to tackle the growing challenge of mobile device hygiene in healthcare, food, and biotech facilities. The company has offices in Toronto, ON and Buffalo, NY. The company's flagship product, the CleanSlate UV sanitizer, allows hospital staff, visitors and patients to rapidly sanitize multiple devices in just 20 seconds. For more information, visit cleanslateuv.com
About Prolog Ventures
Prolog Ventures backs passionate founders committed to supporting healthy lives in a healthy world. Prolog is highly interested in innovations that promote effective hygiene everywhere, from hospitals and public areas to workplaces and homes. An engaged and supportive investor, Prolog closely collaborates with its portfolio companies for fast growth, high impact, and increased founder and shareholder value. For more information, visit prologventures.com
SOURCE CleanSlate UV
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