The presence of heavy metals in Pakistan’s water sources is far beyond WHO limits. During customer validation phase of our business model development exercise, we realized how much the idea to build a reporter
fish for the detection of heavy metals was exciting for our target customer segment: fish farmers. We were surprised to see how they remained
oblivious to the fact that heavy metal contamination was killing their fish and not some ‘unknown reason for death’.
Our team has conducted surveys, both questionnaires and interviews, with 238 respondents (as of wiki freeze – check here), visited fish farms and
discussed every aspect of the project in detail. We have already integrated insights into our product: one of the researchers at a Hatchery we visited
(see video here), suggested a cage (see our cage design here) for our engineered fish to make their use environmentally safer.
With a strong and validated business model in hand (check our current business model canvas here), we are now in talks with a local startup
incubator, members of an angel investor network, the provincial department of fisheries. We also had the Inspector General of Forests, visit
us from the Federal Government of Pakistan who also looks after the Biodiversity portfolio.
