Sterilization tech firm Avalon SteriTech forms JV with SoftBank Robotics

Hong Kong-based sterilization technology firm Avalon SteriTech announced a joint venture with the SoftBank Robotics Group (SBRG) to develop products that will serve public health and well-being.

Lewis Ho, CEO of Avalon SteriTech / Photo credit: Avalon SteriTech

Avalon Robotics will leverage Avalon’s biotechnology and healthcare services along with SBRG’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology, automation, and robotics to offer hygiene solutions.

The partnership, which will be operationally managed by Avalon, aims to introduce bio-decontamination capabilities to Whiz, an autonomous AI cleaning robot by SoftBank Robotics.

Avalon SteriTech provides cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization technology infrastructure for public spaces.

“We have been reviewing many disinfectant formats to enhance Whiz with an add-on function to deliver thorough floor cleaning and achieve disinfection efficacy,” said Kenichi Yoshida, chief business officer of SoftBank Robotics.

As a newly established joint venture, Avalon Robotics will be responsible for global product planning, research and development, business development, marketing, sales, and distribution of Whiz Gambit and other technologies.

Currently, SoftBank Robotics has over 35,000 robots including Pepper, NAO, and Whiz, which are used in over 70 countries. The robots offer applications in the fields of retail, tourism, healthcare, finance, education, facilities management, and cleaning.

The joint venture will capitalize on the growing need for sanitation and disinfection solutions as the world continues to navigate through a pandemic, with the market expected to hit US$28.4 billion in value by 2027.