Decon-X brings infection control from hospitals to veterinary clinics and food production

Photo: Decon-X

In 2014, Platou founded Decon-X. What he did not know at the time was that he would spend the next decade taking on one of Norway’s most demanding markets. Hospitals and healthcare institutions do not buy new equipment overnight. Procurement processes, clinical documentation requirements and decision-making chains can take years to navigate. For a small Norwegian technology company without a well-known brand behind it, the road was long and difficult.

– In the early years, we spent too much time explaining the technology we had developed instead of focusing on the problem we were solving, says Platou.

– The documentation requirements in healthcare are demanding, and that is a good thing. They have made us a better supplier, not only within healthcare, but everywhere we have delivered since.

When patient safety is at stake, high standards are essential. And it says a lot that the DX1 robot is now in use at more than 240 healthcare institutions. The robot fills a room with a fine H₂O₂ mist that eliminates 99.99 percent of bacteria, viruses and spores in 90 minutes, without leaving toxic residues behind.

But years of navigating complex healthcare processes taught Platou and his team something important: the same bacteria, viruses and spores that threaten hospital patients also pose risks elsewhere. Places where the need is just as real, but where no one waits two years for a procurement process.

– At some point, we started asking ourselves why we had limited our thinking to solutions for the healthcare sector alone, says the founder.

Founder of Decon-X, Bjørn Platou, and the disinfection robot in action. Photo: Decon-X

Expanding into new markets

Two segments in the private sector stood out in particular for Decon-X. In food production, the fight against listeria, salmonella and E. coli is a daily reality. A single outbreak can lead to product recalls, shutdowns and reputational damage that takes years to rebuild. Hygiene requirements are strict, but the path from decision to implementation is relatively short. If a food producer sees a solution that works, it can be adopted within weeks rather than years.

– Bacteria thrive just as well in food production facilities as they do in healthcare institutions, says the founder.

– The challenges we solve are not limited to one sector. It was our own tunnel vision that prevented us from seeing parallel industries facing many of the same problems.

The same applies to veterinary clinics and animal healthcare. The spread of infection between animals through equipment and cages is a constant concern, and a chemical-free disinfection system addresses a challenge clinics deal with every day. Aina, Head Veterinary Nurse at Fredrikstad Animal Hospital, confirms this:

– With the robot, we save both time and staffing resources, since one person can prepare a room in five minutes before Decon-X takes over the rest.

At AniCura Animal Hospital Bergen North, the Head Veterinary Nurse in the medical department highlights another benefit: staff are no longer exposed to harsh chemicals over extended periods. Instead, they can close the door and let Decon-X do the work.

For Decon-X, veterinary clinics and food production are not side ventures. The technology is the same, and so is the problem it solves. What differs is the speed of adoption.

– Healthcare remains our largest market, but these new sectors have shown us that we can move much faster in private industries facing similar challenges. That makes us a stronger and more resilient company, concludes Platou.

Want to learn more about Decon-X? Visit the company’s website.