The biotech industry has had their hands full with the Covid-19 pandemic. Companies such as Abbott and Roche have worked hard to push out coronavirus testing kits. Mike Touzard, Israeli entrepreneur and founder of Medakit, has developed a quick-result antigen test for Covid-19. Mr. Touzard sheds light on his entrepreneurial journey in an interview.
Interviewer: Mr. Touzard, tell us about your educational experience and journey.
Mr. Touzard: I have a high school education. University was not for me. I am 100% self-taught, guided by many mentors. I’m a member of the Forbes Business Council and the Brussels Business Club. I started my first business selling laser pointers on eBay when I was 15 with only 70€. I was able to scale that into a successful business, selling on multiple sites and adding more products by constantly improving my store image and my customer service. I bought my first car at 16 only. By the time I was 18, I created an award winning app called UWard. After joining forces with my cofounder, we were invited to many startup contest including the Web Summit in Dublin, where we were featured and met dozens of new investors. We sold this company 3 years later in 2018, and this was truly a amazing adventure.
Interviewer: How has your business grown and changed since then?
Mr. Touzard: I have created many more businesses, and also worked in a variety of different fields, such as real estate, hotels, online security consulting, digital marketing, and more. I am always looking for the next great business idea. I’m proud to already have more than 9 years of business experience at only 24.
Interviewer: Tell us a little about your background and personal life.
Mr. Touzard: I am Israeli and Belgian, and I have spent time living in Israel, Brussels, Congo, and Hong Kong. My parents divorced when I was 8. I never got a penny from my family; I had to work really hard to see success.
Interviewer: What current project are you the most excited about?
Mr. Touzard: One of my companies, Medakit, has developed a new antigen test for Covid-19. This test is similar to a PCR swab test, except that it gives results within 15 minutes. Many airlines, including Lufthansa and Swiss, have already announced that they will be testing passengers using this method. I expect this test will be the game-changing key to fight Covid-19. I’ve always said that mass testing of the population is needed to efficiently fight this virus. We are now introducing an affordable, accurate and rapid test for Covid, that detects the virus within 15 minutes.
Interviewer: Who all have you supplied?
Mr. Touzard: Medakit is an official supplier of France and the French army. We have already delivered hundreds of thousands of tests there. We are also approved in Brazil, and hope to be approved in a number of other countries soon. I would love to partner with the Israeli government as well.
Interviewer: Mr. Touzard, thank you for being with us today.