【TTU LinkedIn Series】🎥 Startup Fun Fact 4 – Most Startups Face Tons of Rejections Before They Take Off 🎥

date 08 May 2026
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Most startups face tons of rejections from investors, partners, and institutions before they succeed.

Rejection is normal — persistence matters.

🌐Global Example: nVision Medical (USA)

Founded in 2012, nVision Medical developed a groundbreaking device for early ovarian cancer detection by safely collecting cells from the fallopian tubes.

Founder Surbhi Sarna heard “no” from more than 50 investors early on — largely due to her age, background, and the women’s health focus (often dismissed as “bikini medicine” at the time).

Instead of giving up, she:

  • Continued refining the technology despite early hesitation
  • Built stronger clinical and pre-clinical evidence
  • Treated each rejection as feedback, not a final verdict

Rejection didn’t mean “no forever” — it meant “not yet, show us more.”

The persistence paid off: nVision raised $17.5 million and was later acquired by Boston Scientific for $275 million.

📍Local Example: Insilico Medicine (Hong Kong)

Founded in 2014 with strong operations in the Hong Kong Science Park, Insilico Medicine pioneers generative AI for drug discovery.

Early on, the team faced significant skepticism and funding hurdles as investors questioned whether AI could truly design new drugs.

They persisted by:

  • Continuously improving their AI platforms
  • Generating stronger scientific and preclinical evidence
  • Proving their value step by step to partners and pharma companies

Over time, repeated rejection turned into growing confidence — leading to major partnerships, a successful Hong Kong IPO, and landmark deals (including with Eli Lilly).

💡Key Takeaway

Rejection is part of the journey.

What matters is whether you stop — or keep going.

At HKUMed Technology Transfer Unit | TTU, we support researchers and clinicians who face these rejections every day. Turning promising science into viable innovations often requires resilience, iteration, and the right partners — and we’re here to help you push forward.

👉 Which story resonates more with you — Surbhi Sarna’s battle through 50+ investor “no’s” or Insilico Medicine’s journey from AI skepticism to global impact?

Or share in the comments: How do you handle rejection while building something meaningful?

#BiotechStartups #HealthTech #Resilience #Innovation #HKUMed #nVisionMedical #InsilicoMedicine #AIinDrugDiscovery #TechnologyTransfer #HongKongBiotech