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.
Forte Biotech 由 Kit Yong 和 Michael Nguyen 于 2021 年创立，其灵感来自他们在农村社区的第一手经验和为农民赋权的热情。他们开创性的现场检测试剂盒 RAPID（真正准确的虾感染检测器）旨在对虾造成威胁之前检测出它们中的疾病。Forte Biotech 的使命很简单：为农民提供可持续农业的工具，增强复原力，并最终改善生计。  

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.
他们的创业之旅是由一个意义深远的事件引发的——2000 年代初白斑综合症病毒 （WSSV） 的广泛爆发。这场危机导致 Kit's 的一位密友破产，他从事对虾养殖。它强调了与对虾养殖相关的重大风险，并激发了 RAPID 检测试剂盒的想法。受 COVID-19 PCR 拭子测试的启发，RAPID 测试套件旨在彻底改变农业中的疾病检测。与传统方法不同，它能够早期发现，使农民能够主动管理风险并保护作物健康。准确率约为 90%，农民只需使用 20 升水样即可识别 10,000 平方米池塘内对虾中的疾病存在。

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. 
在评论测试套件的速度时，Kit 评论道：“如果你能煮方便面，你可以做我们的一项测试！2022 年，Forte Biotech 与两个养殖合作伙伴进行了田间试验，成功检测到了水中的白斑综合征病毒 （WSSV） 和致病寄生虫肝肠细胞瘤 （EHP）。凭借快速简便的检测程序，发现 WSSV 的农场主选择提前收获对虾以获取利润，而处理 EHP 的农场则实施了更多的换水措施以防止疾病发作。 

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.
Kit 补充说：“他的朋友和合作伙伴 Phouc 先生过去在他的农场严重依赖抗生素。现在，他只有在我们的检测试剂盒检测到疾病时才会求助于抗生素。他成功地将抗生素的使用量减少了近 80%，从而生产出更好、更美味、更健康的大虾。通过每一个成功的故事，Forte Biotech 都重申了其对赋予农民权力和促进可持续实践的承诺。 

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.
Forte Biotech 的名字来源于 Kit 父母的企业“Kit Forte”。他们的标志是巧妙地排列各种大小的三角形，形成一只虾，完美地抓住了他们产品的精髓和使命。 

"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.
“在过去的几年里，我学到了很多东西，我很感激国大和新加坡国立大学农业科技中心的所有导师和合作伙伴对我们的支持，”Kit 分享道。“与 Singrow 和 Polybee 等其他初创公司的互动对于我的个人和职业发展以及我们公司的发展都非常宝贵。”Forte Biotech 还参与了新加坡国立大学研究生研究创新计划 （GRIP），该计划将创始人与经验丰富的行业专家联系起来。凭借创新的记录和对质量的坚定承诺，Forte Biotech 从 2023 年净零挑战中获得 200,000 新元的赠款，促进了他们彻底改变农业和促进更大规模可持续发展的努力。

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.
展望未来，Forte Biotech 将继续致力于为农民赋能并促进可持续发展。他们计划扩大产品范围和影响力，在东南亚产生影响，因为世界上大部分虾都产自东南亚。 

Find out more at: https://www.fortebio.tech/
了解更多信息：https://www.fortebio.tech/