In order to take its two products to market, management at REMUV is seeking out additional capital. Interested investors can buy Class B common units in the firm for a price of just $1 apiece. The pre-money valuation for REMUV is $9.94 million. That’s definitely toward the higher end for a business with REMUV’s traction. Thus, the price score for REMUV is its lowest across all five metrics.

The market for UV disinfectant technology is surprisingly small. One source pegged it at $4.8 billion this year. With an annualized growth rate of 14%, it should rise to $9.2 billion by 2026. Other sources saw similar figures. One said the market should grow at a rate of 16.2% per annum from $3.3 billion this year to $4.4 billion in 2023. A third source suggested the market should grow by 19% annually. This would take it from $3.3 billion in 2021 to $9.2 billion by 2027. This small size means the upside for REMUV is quite limited. However, the industry is set to have a strong growth rate, which somewhat balances the limited upside. REMUV’s market score is below average due to these factors.

At present, there are three key members behind the REMUV team. The first of these is co-founder and CEO Braden Reiber. Prior to starting REMUV, Reiber served as the CEO and owner of YUGYZEL Holdings, a position he still holds. Its work involves holding proprietary intellectual property. What this specifically entails is uncertain. Prior to that, he worked as a Sales Manager at Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System. That business provides clients with health-based cleaning solutions. This last position does not bear much relation on the technology side of REMUV, but it does mean that Reiber has professional experience with pathogens.

The second key person at REMUV is David Reiber. He is a co-founder who serves as the Vice President of Sales for the company. His prior experience includes working as a Senior Client Manager at IMS ExpertServices. IMS is a consulting entity focused on expert witness and trial presentation services. That clearly has little to do with REMUV outside of how sales experience could cross over. In all, Reiber claims to possess more than 40 years of experience in sales and project management. 

The third key individual is Scott Shutack. He is the third co-founder of REMUV and also its Vice President of Business Development. Prior experience includes serving as a pilot for United Airlines. Shutack was also the founder and President of SAFERjett. That business provides training programs, products, and services to its clients.

Braden Reiber’s experience at Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System and David Reiber’s extensive sales experience both bode well for REMUV. However, Shutack’s past work as a pilot is not particularly relevant for the company. All together, REMUV’s team score is above average.

To be clear, the concept of autonomous robots disinfecting rooms is not new. Plenty of other firms offer devices of this nature. Fetch Robotics has the SmartGuard UV. OMRON’s LD Series and UVD Robots are answers to this as well. The same can be said of UVC technology for drinking water. For this, there’s the SteriPEN. Trojan UV also provides some devices that accomplish this, though its offerings appear to be on the more industrial side of the scale. According to management, what is unique about REMUV’s water purification device is its reliance on LED lights, as opposed to toxic mercury bulbs that competitors rely on. This distinction applies to REMUV’s COBRA unit as well. Most, but not all, of its competitors use mercury bulbs. By switching to LED, the company is not just offering a safer product, it’s also able to make the device smaller and more compact. Additionally, the company has secured patents for the REMUV, and the COBRA is patent-pending. 

Overall, REMUV has built a strong moat of defensibility for its products while also succeeding at setting itself apart from competitors. Thus, the differentiators score for the company is its highest across all five metrics.

One area that REMUV really struggles in is performance. Financial results for 2020 have not been provided, but in both 2018 and 2019 the company generated nothing in the way of revenue. The business lost $60,685 in 2018, and this loss grew to $73,848 in 2019. Operating cash flow was negative to the tune of $59,286 in 2018, and this rose to $69,638 in 2019. This performance could be forgiven if the company had strong traction elsewhere. Its involvement with the US Army is noteworthy, and the idea that the company could be ready to ship its robot later this year is great. However, the fact that it finished its water purification device and then just sat on it — instead of monetizing it while working on the COBRA — gives the impression of a business that doesn’t know what it wants to be. A pivot is fine. But a partial pivot where management still attests to wanting to monetize its first product only after shifting focus to a new one is confusing. As a result, REMUV’s performance score is weak.

Right now, there are plenty of reasons to feel bearish about REMUV. The company’s performance to date has been discouraging to say the least. The price of the business, for a pre-revenue firm, is lofty, and the market that it operates in is fairly small. If REMUV continues to move slowly on monetizing either of its products, the firm may struggle to live up to the valuation it has set for itself. Slow development may also provide competitors with plenty of opportunities to create similar products, further weakening REMUV’s place in a small market.

Just as there are bearish issues involving REMUV, there are bullish ones too. While the industry it operates in is small, its growth rate is robust. The company is able to benefit from a pandemic where, for now at least, there’s likely a lot of demand for what it offers. Its association with the US Army and its partnership with Airgility are noteworthy. Its patent on its namesake product and its patent-pending technology for its COBRA unit should help to insulate it from competitive pressures.

REMUV is focused on using UVC technology to provide sanitation products. The company has developed two products — the REMUV and COBRA — which operate in water and environment sanitation. The company has successfully set itself apart from competitors through its use of LEDs and by obtaining patents. The founding team brings much relevant experience as well. However, the current valuation is entirely unjustified given REMUV’s poor financial performance thus far. The business has struggled to monetize its first product, and it’s unclear how successful it will be with its second. The UV sanitation is also quite small, further limiting the company’s potential for upside. Due to all these factors, REMUV is a Neutral Deal at this time.

For questions regarding the KingsCrowd staff pick or ratings for this company, please reach out to support@kingscrowd.com. 

Analysis written by Daniel Jones.