Moving beyond masks: Hong Kong start-up Innotier expands into antimicrobial clothing

INNOTIER has diversified into products aimed at health-conscious customers in the post-Covid-19 era, says founder Juliana Lam. With growing demand, Lam expects sales to surge by more than 300% to over HK$100 million in the next 12 months.

Like many mask manufacturers in Hong Kong, Juliana Lam saw her company's business drop sharply after the government scrapped the face-covering mandate in March last year, as Covid-19 cases declined.

However, Lam felt her four-year-old start-up, Innotier, was more fortunate than others. Her experience in the apparel industry allowed the company to diversify from making masks, clothes and bedsheets into antimicrobial underwear, workout apparel, and babywear – products aimed at customers concerned about hygiene in the post-Covid-19 era.

"Our business dropped more than 20% shortly after the mask-wearing mandate was removed," said Lam. But the company's sales have bounced back as it launched a new line of hygiene-focused products, including antimicrobial underwear for women and baby clothes.

"Tests by international laboratory institutions have shown our underwear can kill various germs and viruses, including Staphylococcus aureus, HPV-16, and vaginal candidiasis," she said. Those institutions include SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Hong Kong dropped its Covid-19 mask mandate on March 1 last year to lure back visitors, revive business confidence and restore normal life, more than three years after stringent rules were first imposed. Hong Kong was one of the last places globally to do away with masks.

The technology behind Innotier's products involves the release of silver ions from the clothing fibres. These positively charged ions can eliminate viruses and bacteria on the fabric's surface, according to Lam.

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