【TTU LinkedIn Series】🎥 Startup Fun Fact 3 – Most Startups Last Only a Few Years 🎥

date 01 May 2026
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~20% fail in the 1st year

~45–50% fail within the first 5 years

~65% fail within 10 years

The odds are tough. But the survivors? They can change everything.

🌐Global Example: Moderna (USA)

Founded in 2010, Moderna pioneered mRNA technology for vaccines and therapeutics. For its first decade, it burned through huge amounts of capital with no revenue, facing widespread skepticism.

What helped it survive and ultimately succeed?

  • Extremely deep pockets from patient investors
  • A broad, flexible mRNA platform strategy (not just one product)
  • Bold infrastructure bets made years in advance
  • Persistent execution through years of challenges

After 10 years of heavy investment, the payoff came with one of the fastest vaccines in history during the COVID-19 pandemic.

📍Local Example: PHASE Scientific (Hong Kong)

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hong Kong, PHASE Scientific develops non-invasive, urine-based diagnostics for cancer and infectious diseases using its proprietary PHASiFY™ technology.

The company survived and thrived due to:

  • Its differentiated PHASiFY™ platform that greatly improves urine-based diagnostics
  • A timely pivot to large-scale COVID-19 testing, generating early revenue and operational scale
  • The team’s persistent clinical development over a decade despite early-stage challenges
  • Strong credibility that led to a US$34 million Series A round in 2025 — one of the largest in Asia’s diagnostic sector since 2019

💡Key Takeaway

Survivors usually have one thing in common:

A strong core technology, backed by long-term vision and persistent investment.

What’s the breakthrough you’re building right now?

At HKUMed Technology Transfer Unit | TTU, we support researchers and clinicians who are in it for the long haul. Turning promising science into resilient, impactful innovations takes time, resilience, and the right support — and we’re here to help.

👉 Which story inspires you more — Moderna’s decade-long bet on mRNA or PHASE Scientific’s persistent journey in diagnostics?

Or share in the comments: What keeps you going when building something that may take years to succeed?

Follow us for Episode 4 of Startup Fun Facts — more real stories (and realities) from biotech and health-tech.

#BiotechStartups #HealthTech #Innovation #Resilience #HKUMed #Moderna #PHASEScientific #TechnologyTransfer #HongKongBiotech