28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
How Chicago startup Beacon plans to grow smart disinfection device
Beacon, a Chicago startup born during the pandemic, is set to bring its innovative room-cleaning device to more homes and businesses in 2025.
A Chicago startup born out of the pandemic is ready to move into more homes and businesses after spending a number of years in research and development.
Founded in 2020, Beacon Technology Solutions — winner of Inno Madness 2025, Chicago Inno's annual bracket-style head-to-head startup competition — makes a wall-mounted smart device that uses Far-UVC 222 nm light to disinfect a room.
Beacon CEO Brian Clark said the Chicago startup has delivered its flagship product to hundreds of customers and will look to continue to expand its customer base in 2025.
"That's a big focus on 2025," Clark told Chicago Inno. "We're really excited to continue to tweak the product and make upgrades based on customer feedback and bring more features to them that solve the problem of staying safe from bacteria, molds and viruses."
Clark said Beacon's customers include both immunocompromised individuals and different types of businesses in the medical and education sectors to keep spaces safe, open and operational.
Clark added that developing a physical product has inherent advantages in today's market where every startup is looking to incorporate artificial intelligence and add .ai to the end of its name.
"It's something real. It's something tangible," he said. "It's something that creates value for people that can't be easily replicated in software."
Beacon fulfilled all its preorders and sold out of its initial product run in 2024, and Clark expects to announce a release date soon for the second-generation Beacon Light, which already has a growing waiting list.
The company recently received a grant from Illinois Tech to study how its light technology can be used to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases in public spaces.
"The big thing about technology like this is you have to continue to show people, not just help them," Clark said.
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