Forte Biotech, founded by Kit Yong and Michael Nguyen in 2021, draws its inspiration from their firsthand experiences in rural communities and a passion for empowering farmers. Their groundbreaking on-site test kit, RAPID (Really Accurate Prawn Infection Detector), is designed to detect diseases in prawns before they become a threat. Forte Biotech's mission is simple: provide farmers with the tools for sustainable farming, enhance resilience, and ultimately uplift livelihoods.
Their journey into entrepreneurship was sparked by a profound event — the widespread outbreak of the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) in the early 2000s. This crisis resulted in the bankruptcy of a close family friend of Kit's, who was involved in prawn farming. It highlighted the significant risks associated with prawn farming and sparked the idea for the RAPID test kit. Inspired by COVID-19 PCR swab tests, the RAPID test kit aims to revolutionise disease detection in agriculture. Unlike conventional methods, it enables early detection, empowering farmers to proactively manage risks and protect crop health. With an accuracy rate of around 90%, farmers can identify the presence of disease in their prawns within a 10,000m² pond using just a 20-litre water sample.
Commenting on the speed of the test kit, Kit remarked, "If you can cook instant noodles, you can do one of our tests!" In 2022, Forte Biotech conducted field trials with two farming partners, successfully detecting the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and the disease-causing parasite, Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), in the water. With swift and easy detection procedures in place, the farmer who identified WSSV chose to harvest the prawns early for profit, while the farm dealing with EHP implemented more water changes to prevent the onset of diseases.
Kit added, "A friend and partner, Mr Phuoc, used to rely heavily on antibiotics on his farm. Now, he only resorts to antibiotics when our test kits detect a disease. He has managed to reduce antibiotic usage by nearly 80%, resulting in much better, tastier, and healthier prawns." With each success story, Forte Biotech reaffirms its commitment to empowering farmers and promoting sustainable practices.
Forte Biotech takes its name from Kit’s parents’ business, “Kit Forte”. Their logo, a clever arrangement of triangles in various sizes forming a prawn, perfectly captures the essence of their product and its mission.
"I have learnt a lot over the past few years, and I am grateful for the support we have received from NUS and all the mentors and partners at the NUS Agritech Centre," Kit shared. "Interacting with the other start-ups such as Singrow and Polybee has been invaluable for my personal and professional growth, as well as for the development of our company." Forte Biotech also participated in the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP), which connected the founders with seasoned industry experts. With a track record of innovation and a steadfast commitment to quality, Forte Biotech secured S$200,000 in grant funding from the Net Zero Challenge 2023, boosting their efforts to revolutionise agriculture and promote sustainability on a larger scale.
Looking ahead, Forte Biotech remains dedicated to empowering farmers and promoting sustainability. They plan to grow their product range and influence, making an impact in Southeast Asia, where a significant portion of the world's prawns are produced.
Find out more at: https://www.fortebio.tech/
