It is no secret that touchscreens present a major sanitary challenge. That “icky” feeling is all too familiar when tapping screens to check in at airports or hotels, buy train tickets or order food in restaurants around the world.
But just how dirty are public touchscreens? Karolina Malmlöv, COO at the Swedish startup Paprtect, reveals a stark answer to that question, pointing to a recent study.
“The findings showed that touchscreens at airports typically carry more germs and bacteria than public toilets. They are simply not cleaned on a regular basis. Our mission is to help people avoid exposure,” she says.
Paprtect came onto the scene during the pandemic with a unique hygiene concept based on recyclable fingercovers and bracket dispensers manufactured in Sweden. Now, customer demand has entered the mainstream.
“Our product was always destined for export. But we didn’t have proper sales channels or a clear idea of which market to target first and how to avoid taking risks. That’s why we contacted Business Sweden.”
SINGAPORE A LAUNCHPAD FOR GOING GLOBAL
Having worked with Business Sweden at previous employers, Karolina Malmlöv instinctively knew it would be the perfect match for Paprtect. The collaboration started with an evaluation of a shortlist of potential markets.
“The first market analysis took about a month. We had the US, Canada, Europe and Japan on our wish list. Business Sweden’s team convinced us that Singapore was the ideal launchpad for Paprtect.
“Singaporeans not only value hygiene solutions like ours, but many Asian companies are also headquartered here. English is widely spoken and Swedish brands are held in high regard,” Malmlöv recounts.
“Business Sweden provided outstanding support and felt like an integrated part of our team. By entering new markets in this way we saved an enormous amount of time and money.”JUMPSTARTING REMOTE SALES
The decision to expand in Singapore was based on a comprehensive pre-market scan and outreach conducted by Business Sweden to gauge local interest. The next step was to build up engagement and brand recognition and launch a remote sales solution.
“All I had to do was send our products to Singapore and Business Sweden’s local team presented Paprtect’s concept to airport operators, local restaurants and hotels,” says Malmlöv.
“I travelled there for a few meetings and noticed what a great reputation Business Sweden has in Singapore. It really meant something to meet customers together with Business Sweden’s local experts, instead of approaching decision-makers on our own.”
GEARING UP FOR DUBAI AND BEYOND
With a tried and tested expansion plan, and as sales in Singapore picked up momentum, Paprtect started to receive incoming requests from other markets.
Today, the company’s international growth is on a roll – using a hybrid sales model together with Business Sweden not just in Asia but across the United Arab Emirates and Germany.
“The Singapore team at Business Sweden brought their colleagues at other locations up to speed on our sales pitch. We sent demo products to Dubai and Berlin, handled initial follow-up on leads and then let Business Sweden represent us locally. This has been a very smooth set-up for us,” explains Malmlöv.
Two additional benefits, she points out, is that Business Sweden offers the possibility to hire local staff if needed, coupled with continuous support regarding local export rules and regulations.
“By entering new markets in this way we’ve saved an enormous amount of time and money. Business Sweden provided outstanding support. Their market knowledge, level of engagement and professionalism are top class, and they feel like an integrated part of our team,” Malmlöv concludes.
ABOUT PAPRTECT
Paprtect aims to revolutionise touchscreen hygiene with a unique, recyclable fingercover and dispenser system that creates a clean and germ-free experience at airports, hotels and restaurants and other public spaces. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Jönköping, Sweden.
