Highlights From Interview with Grant Morgan: Founder of R-Zero

In May, I had the chance to interview Grant Morgan, a co-founder of R-Zero, and I was excited to dive into our conversation. R-Zero's innovative technology is highly relevant, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking back on our discussion, here are some of my key takeaways.

Grant introduced himself as a “serial entrepreneur,” having successfully launched multiple startups. R-Zero is one of his most recent ventures, and earlier this year, he also founded One Dream Ventures.

The mission behind R-Zero is simple yet powerful: to create healthier indoor spaces by using UVC light technology to disinfect them. The idea came to Grant in response to Covid-19. As the world shut down and everything felt uncertain, he saw a need for better solutions to combat the virus. Beyond addressing health concerns, R-Zero’s technology also reduces energy consumption, which adds another layer of appeal for indoor spaces that typically require significant energy to maintain.

Grant’s diverse background played a key role in the creation of R-Zero. He began his career in healthcare before transitioning into mechanical engineering and founding software companies. Each of these experiences gave him valuable knowledge that contributed to the development of R-Zero.

One of the challenges he mentioned was raising venture capital. While that can be difficult for any startup, Grant emphasized that execution is what truly matters. Each stage of fundraising is different, but R-Zero managed to attract investors by building a fast-growing company with a healthy financial profile. In fact, before they even launched their product, they had already secured six-figure purchase commitments, which made it easier to pitch to venture capitalists.

When it came to marketing, Grant started with schools, which were top of mind due to pandemic-related shutdowns. Schools knew they needed solutions to minimize the spread of Covid-19 when reopening, making them an ideal early customer base. After that, R-Zero expanded to hospitals, and eventually to office spaces as more workplaces began to reopen, with safety as a key concern.

One of the biggest challenges Grant faced was proving the value of R-Zero’s technology. Since sickness is an invisible problem, it was hard to demonstrate the impact of the product. To overcome this, the team leaned heavily on science, using third-party tests to show how effective their UVC light was at disinfecting spaces. They conducted tests where live microorganisms were released in controlled environments, and showcased the data. However, simplifying this data for marketing purposes was a challenge, as it sometimes watered down the precision of the information.

Although Grant left R-Zero in late 2022, he remains the company’s "biggest cheerleader." His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: learn quickly and launch as soon as possible.

Overall, I had an amazing time speaking with Grant, and I’m very impressed by the incredible company he built. R-Zero’s UVC technology is making indoor spaces safer and healthier every day, and I’m grateful for having this opportunity. Thank you Grant for sharing your insights with me!