ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Foodborne diseases pose severe threats to health and economies, yet conventional detection methods are limited by high costs, complex operations, or slow results. This product integrates quadruple - signal - amplified nanoflowers (with phage - mediated targeting and nanozyme - enhanced signals) and smartphone - based analysis, enabling ultra - sensitive (detection limit down to 10¹ CFU/mL) and rapid (≈30 minutes) identification of foodborne pathogens. As a kit, it caters to scenarios like home testing and food industry quality control, bridging the gap between lab - grade accuracy and on - site convenience.

2.1 Business background
In today's rapidly evolving food industry, the lack of effective on-site testing methods has created significant risks to public health. Many foods that enter the market, from fresh produce to processed products, may contain harmful bacteria or chemical residues that are invisible to the naked eye and often go undetected by conventional inspection systems. When such contaminated foods are consumed, they can lead to serious health issues, including foodborne illnesses and long-term exposure to hazardous substances, which not only endanger individuals but also impose heavy economic burdens on the healthcare system. Traditional testing technologies, while accurate in controlled laboratory environments, are often too slow, complex, and costly to meet the demands of real-time detection, leaving a critical gap between food production and consumer safety. Nanoflower-based detection technology addresses this gap by enabling highly sensitive, rapid, and convenient testing that empowers both industry stakeholders and consumers to identify potential hazards before they reach the table. By reducing the likelihood of undetected contamination, this technology represents a crucial step toward safeguarding public health, restoring consumer confidence, and setting a new standard for food safety in a world where the cost of inaction is simply too high.

2.2 Business ethics
Our team is dedicated to developing an ultrasensitive bacterial detection system by integrating nanoflowers with smartphone-based RGB analysis. Our business ethics are:
a. Transparency
We disclose our research objectives, detection methods, and performance results, including potential risks to users and communities.
b. Responsibility
We take accountability for the environmental, social, and stakeholder impacts throughout the product life cycle.
c. Safety
The safety of all researchers, partners, and end users is paramount; we strictly follow laboratory biosafety protocols and use only approved materials.
d. Sustainability
We minimize resource consumption and waste by adhering to green chemistry principles and selecting recyclable packaging materials.
e. ASSURED
In recent years, point‑of‑care testing (POCT) has emerged as a rapidly developing diagnostic method, offering simple operation, rapid results, strong portability and automation. Our project meets the World Health Organization's (WHO) ASSURED criteria: affordable, sensitive, specific, user‑friendly, robust, equipment‑free and deliverable.
2.3 Business Canva

3.1 Market Research
•Current Market Overview
The global food pathogen detection market is expected to grow from 15.28 billion US dollars to 16.47 billion US dollars in 2023-2024, and is projected to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.21%, reaching 26.56 billion US dollars by 2030. In 2025, the global food bacteria testing market is expected to be approximately 3.28 billion US dollars, maintaining a double-digit growth rate of 8.9% over the next five years. The growth rate of the Chinese market is even more prominent, reaching 14%.
•Potential Market Growth
The market growth of nano-flower bacteria food detection technology is driven by many factors, and its potential can be seen from the perspectives of policy, consumption and industry.
In terms of policy, the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Food Production and Business Enterprises' Implementation of Food Safety Primary Responsibility" to be implemented in 2025 requires food enterprises to frequently monitor microbial indicators at all stages from raw material acceptance, production process to finished product delivery. They also need to establish a mechanism for daily control, weekly inspection and monthly dispatch. This has led enterprises to have a stronger demand for rapid and accurate bacterial detection technologies, and the nano-flower detection technology can precisely meet this demand, becoming a suitable choice for enterprises to comply with regulatory requirements.
The changes at the consumer end are also quite obvious. As people pay more and more attention to food safety, consumers hope to verify whether the food they purchase, especially commonly eaten categories such as infant food and ready-to-eat fresh produce, have microbial safety issues. The demand for rapid testing at the household level is constantly increasing. The nano-flower detection technology can be made into portable detection cards, which are easy to operate and can show the results without professional equipment, precisely meeting consumers' demands for convenient and professional detection methods.
At the industrial end, food enterprises are confronted with issues of testing efficiency and cost. The sensitivity of traditional colloidal gold detection is insufficient. Although PCR technology is accurate, the equipment is expensive and the operation is complex, making it unsuitable for large-scale screening by enterprises. The characteristics of nano-flower materials can enhance the sensitivity of detection and reduce the cost of batch preparation, providing food processing enterprises with an accurate and economical detection solution. In scenarios such as pre-prepared food factories and central kitchens where batch sampling is required, they play an irreplaceable role, and market demand will continue to rise.

3.2 Target Client
To ensure the scalability and market adoption of our bacterial detection device, we have identified two key client segments across the food value chain:
•Industrial Quality Control Users
These include dairy farms, food processing plants, central kitchens, and third-party testing laboratories, all of which require timely microbial analysis to support fast-paced production. For example, raw milk must be tested and accepted within 40 minutes of arrival at collection points, leaving little room for delay. Current microbial testing methods, such as the GB 4789.2 standard plate count, typically take 24 to 48 hours to generate results, rendering them impractical for real-time decision-making. Even advanced automated instruments are costly and require trained personnel, while manual methods are prone to inconsistencies and human error. Our nano-structured kit with smartphone-readout delivers results in 30 minutes, with low user complexity and strong compatibility with existing workflows. It presents an efficient, scalable solution for real-time quality control and operational cost reduction. •Consumer-Level Users
This group includes families with infants, elderly members, or pregnant women, as well as urban professionals who frequently consume takeout or pre-cooked meals. Their growing concern about food safety is not matched by access to reliable testing tools. Without professional knowledge, they are often forced to make food decisions based on appearance, smell, or online rumors. Consumers need a fast, easy, and portable detection system that is safe and scientifically reliable. Our smartphone-compatible kit allows users to perform real-time bacterial screening in household environments without any technical background, offering peace of mind and personal control over food safety.

3.3 Competitors Research
The key advantage of our technology lies in its unique multi-stage signal amplification mechanism, which achieves PCR-level ultra-high sensitivity. Simultaneously, by integrating smartphone APP analysis, it eliminates the reliance on specialized equipment and reduces detection costs. This innovation strikes a balance between "laboratory-level accuracy" and "on-site convenience" for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as household applications, making it particularly suitable for food safety, environmental monitoring, and medical POCT fields.

3.4 PEST Analysis
•Political Factors
National food safety standards (such as GB 4789) are shaping the regulatory environment and promoting adopting compliance technologies. Regulatory agencies such as the FDA, local market supervision, and administration bureaus are raising the bar for product access. Government subsidies and policy support are increasing access to technology for low-income groups and accelerating the marketization of products. Overall, policies and compliance requirements are accelerating the implementation and promotion of innovative testing technologies.
•Economic Factors
The global food safety testing market has reached $24 billion, offering broad commercial potential for related testing products. POCT market has an average annual growth rate of 15.7%, demonstrating significant growth potential. The cost is significantly lower than that of specialized testing instruments like PCR, creating a substantial cost advantage and facilitating widespread adoption.
•Social Factors
Public awareness of food safety remains insufficient, and there is an urgent need to strengthen public awareness and increase acceptance. Furthermore, there is a strong demand for convenient testing products among special groups, such as older people and the visually impaired. Public welfare testing at the community level is gradually expanding, and corporate social responsibility has become essential to brand building. Humanized, user-friendly product design enhances the user experience and helps develop the product's user base and market acceptance.
•Technical Factors
The nanoflower structure's dual signal amplification technology significantly improves detection sensitivity, with a minimum detectable concentration of 10¹ CFU/mL, an industry-leading level. The smartphone app-based analysis platform meets the portability and real-time requirements of POCT scenarios. The high specificity of bacteriophage proteins further enhances detection accuracy and their applicability. Furthermore, continuous technological innovation has established a technological barrier for the company, helping it maintain its leading position in the market.

3.5 Porter's five analysis

Competitive Forces	Analysis Content
Bargaining power of suppliers: Medium-low	Dependent on raw materials such as gene fragments and chemical reagents, there is sufficient competition among suppliers with transparent prices and abundant alternative options, making it difficult for suppliers to monopolize pricing. Only after large-scale production, special materials may face certain bargaining pressure from a few suppliers, with little impact at present.
Threat of potential competitors entering: Medium	Existing competitors include PCR equipment manufacturers, traditional reagent companies, etc. The project's technology is innovative, requiring significant investment to replicate, but we need to apply for patents as soon as possible.
Bargaining power of buyers: Medium-high	Target customers include hospitals, food enterprises, etc. Currently, detection methods such as PCR detection method dominate the market. Buyers have high switching costs, are price - sensitive, and large customers have relatively large bargaining space. However, the product advantages meet the needs of rapid screening in hospital emergency departments and production line sampling inspection in food enterprises and other non - laboratory scenarios, which can reduce the bargaining power of buyers to a certain extent.
Threat of substitutes: Low	PCR relies on equipment, and immunochromatographic test strips have low sensitivity; other POCT technologies may become substitutes if improved. However, the project integrates ultra-sensitivity, speed, portability and low cost, filling the technical gap and reducing the threat of substitutes.
Degree of internal industry competition: Medium	The overall bacterial testing industry is highly competitive, but the "ultra-sensitive + portable POCT" segment is still a blue ocean. PCR and immunochromatography occupying high and low-end markets respectively. The project targets the "middle market" with innovative technology suitable for non-laboratory scenarios, resulting in relatively low competitive pressure.

3.6 SWOT analysis
Strengths
Ultra-high sensitivity and efficiency: It detects tiny amounts of foodborne pathogens much faster than traditional methods.
Innovative and versatile: Merges nanomaterials and biomolecular recognition, with potential in food safety, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnosis.
Cost and portability: Lower cost than large instruments (e.g., PCR) and easy to integrate into portable devices for on-site testing.
Weaknesses
Sample interference: Food matrices (fats, proteins) may block detection sites, requiring preprocessing that slows testing.
Opportunities
Growing food safety demand: Frequent foodborne outbreaks drive demand for rapid detection, supported by policies (e.g., China’s Food Safety Law).
Nano-biotech integration: Research funding favors such innovations Portable device potential: Can be integrated with smartphone APP for on-site "sample-test-upload" systems.
Threats
Competition from alternatives: Mature technologies (digital PCR, CRISPR) and low-cost kits (colloidal gold strips) dominate markets.
Regulatory and safety concerns: Unclear nanomaterial biosafety could lead to restrictive regulations; public distrust may hinder adoption.

4.1 Product
Our product is a portable bacterial detection kit that uses nanoflower signal amplification. In addition, it scans the results with a smartphone APP to directly detect bacteria. Our product designed for both industry professionals and household users.

The core process involves:
•Use a sampling stick or dropper to take asmall amount of the sample to be tested.
•Insert the sampling stick into the sample processing solution and stir gently;or add the sample from the dropper to the sample processing solution drop by drop.
•Using a dropper, transfer the sample processing solution into the bacterial detection tube and wait for 20 minutes
•Empty the liquid from the bacterial detection tube, add the chromogenic substrate using a dropper, and wait for10 minutes.
•Place the bacterial detection tube in the detection hole of the kit, turn on the mobile phone camera, and take a photo.
With features such as short detection time, high sensitivity, and no need for lab equipment or professional training, our product addresses critical limitations in traditional testing. It is well-suited for use in food factories, supply chains, markets, and even household kitchens, where rapid response is essential. 4.2 Price
We apply a value-driven pricing model, influenced by the following core factors:
•Perceived Value to End Users: We consider how different clients—such as industrial quality control teams, small retailers, and individual consumers—perceive the benefit of rapid and portable detection, especially in scenarios where conventional testing methods are either inaccessible or too time-consuming.
•Cost Structure and Production Scale: The cost of raw materials, reagents, packaging, and digital infrastructure informs our base pricing. As manufacturing volume increases, economies of scale are expected to lower marginal production costs, allowing pricing flexibility.
•Benchmarking against Market Standards: Our pricing is informed by an analysis of comparable food safety detection kits currently in the market. Although many such kits exist, most lack smartphone compatibility, real-time visualization, or nanosensor precision. Our product differentiates itself by offering integrated digital features and higher usability, justifying a differentiated value proposition.
•Willingness to Pay: Based on interviews and surveys conducted with target users—including dairy factories, household consumers, and small businesses—we recognize varying levels of price sensitivity. Industrial users prioritize speed and accuracy, whereas individual consumers are more cost-conscious and require clear utility before accepting new tools.

4.3 Place
We rely on several channels to reach every customer group.
•Retail Store: Household kits sit in pharmacy and supermarket aisles. Staff show a one‑minute demo so shoppers know how to use them.
•Food Producers and Testing Labs: We sign business‑to‑business supply contracts.
•Industry Fairs: Live demos at food‑safety expos show the workflow and attract overseas distributors.

4.4 Promotion
Based on the product's high sensitivity, speed, and ease of use, our promotion strategy will highlight the core idea: “lab-level accuracy, on-the-spot convenience.” We’ll push both online and offline efforts.
Online, we’ll use short videos on social media to show how the test works in just 30 minutes—whether at home in the kitchen or in a food factory. We’ll also team up with parenting influencers and food-safety experts to reach families and young parents who care about food safety.
Offline, we’ll focus on the industry side: join food processing and ready-made food exhibitions to demo the product live, partner with third-party testing agencies and big food companies, and offer free samples and bulk purchase options. This helps solve their pain point of slow testing methods that can’t keep up with fast production.

We’ll also tailor our approach for different customers:
For industrial users, we’ll stress how the product meets upcoming 2025 rules like “daily control, weekly checks, monthly reviews,” while cutting down time and labor costs.
For consumers, we'll set up trial zones in pharmacies and supermarkets, especially inviting families with young children to try it. We'll also launch low-cost single-use test packs sold through e-commerce and community group buys to make trying it easier.

5.1 Development plans and Milestone
Phase 1: Technology Finalization (0-12 Months)
•Complete nanoflower optimization
•Develop and validate smartphone analysis APP
•Establish pilot production capability
•Initiate regulatory certification process
Phase 2: Market Validation (12-24 Months)
•Obtain NMPA Class II certification
•Launch pilot programs with premium food retailers
•Establish initial B2B sales channels
Phase 3: Commercial Scaling (24-36 Months)
•Ramp up production capacity
•Expand to full B2B commercialization
•Launch direct-to-consumer products
•Introduce first product line extensions
Phase 4: Market Expansion (36-48 Months)
•Penetrate tier-1 city markets
•Develop strategic retail partnerships
•Implement subscription service model
•Begin regional distribution network
Phase 5: Optimization & Growth (48-60 Months)
•Achieve production efficiency targets
•Expand to adjacent market segments
•Initiate international market entry
5.2 Financial Planning
Income
Price: Based on an overview of market competitors, the average pricing range for this market is approximately 300 to 800 RMB. Our product has multiple advantages that set it apart from competitors and offers unique innovative features in the market. However, considering that the general public is initially sensitive to the price of new products, our final pricing will be around 500 RMB per box, which aligns with the average price of similar products on the market. This pricing strategy allows us to safely achieve high returns from sales, covering the product development costs borne by our lab team.
Sales: Since the product has just been sold and the brand is not well-known, we expect to sell 45 test kits per day in the first year, totally annual sales volume is 16,425 test kits. Additionally, we anticipate an annual sales growth rate of 5%.

Long-term fixed costs
Initial R & D: We expect to invest 8M RMB in R&D expenses. If the funds are insufficient, we will replenish our investment by seek other investors or more strategic cooperation.
Equipment: Because our existing laboratory can complete the entire process of the bacterial detection kit . So we estimate that the equipment in the laboratory is enough for us to complete the production. In the laboratory, there are shaking machine, centrifuge, refrigerator, mass spectrometer, etc., and the price ranges from 100,000 to 500,000 yuan. We expect that in production, the requirements for equipment are higher, and the relative price is higher than that in our laboratory. So we estimate that the price we need to invest in the equipment is about 6 Million Yuan.

Annual fixed costs
Labor: We expect to build factories in second-tier cities in China, with an average monthly salary of 10,000 yuan. We expect to hire 20 people, totally annual salary is 2.4 Million Yuan.
Power: We estimate that monthly water and electricity costs are 50,000 yuan, totally 600,000 Yuan Annually.
Rent: We would built the factory in second-tier cities in China, looking for a site with a large area and low rent. The monthly rent is 60,000 yuan and the annual rent is 720,000 yuan.
Promotion: We would also expect to spend 500,000 yuan every year for marketing and contact hospitals communication.

Variable costs
We interviewed the material supplier and laboratory researcher, and learned that the preparation cost of nanoflowers and cost of test tubes in the laboratory are very low, so we estimate that the cost of each product is about 30 yuan, and the supply chain cost is about 8 yuan. We hope to reach a profit in 4 years. After calculation, the price of yuan can meet this condition. After our calculations, we formulate the table below

To ensure the smooth promotion and sustainable application of food pathogen detection products based on nanoflowers, the following key risks need to be identified and addressed:
•Compliance risk
Risk: Food safety testing products must meet strict national and international standards. Countermeasures: Conduct comprehensive validation studies; work with regulatory consultants; apply for relevant certifications in the early stages of product development.

•User misuse or misinterpretation risk
Risk: Non-professional users (home users) may operate improperly or misinterpret the test results.
Countermeasures: Integrate operation instructions in the App, equip it with a straightforward visual result interface, and provide teaching videos to reduce the usage threshold and error rate.

•Manufacturing and quality control risks
Risk: The synthesis process of nanomaterials may have batch-to-batch differences, affecting the consistency of detection performance.
Countermeasures: Standardize production processes, implement batch quality control mechanisms, and ensure the raw material supply chain traceability.

•Market acceptance and trust issues
Risk: Some users may doubt the accuracy of nanotechnology or smartphone APP detection.
Countermeasures: Publish peer-reviewed scientific research data, conduct widespread science publicity, and cooperate with industry authorities to enhance credibility.

•Market Uncertainty Risk
Risk: Despite the product's advanced technology, the market education cycle is long and user behavior shifts slowly, potentially impacting sales expectations.
Countermeasures: Develop a phased marketing strategy, initially entering high-demand industries (such as food exports and central kitchens), accumulating case studies and reputation before expanding into the household and small and medium-sized enterprise markets.