"Sea Cucumber Research", an intrapreneurship created by the post-90s generation, is the only skin care product in Hong Kong.

Many foreign companies have a culture of encouraging employees to start their own businesses. In addition to retaining outstanding talents, it can also stimulate internal morale within the company. Technology giants such as Facebook and Google have had many successful cases of internal entrepreneurship in the past. This kind of ecosystem is relatively rare in Hong Kong, but there are still Hong Kong start-up companies that are willing to invest resources to help employees start their own businesses to achieve a win-win situation.

Three girls born in the 1990s, Chen Lixuan, Xu Biqin and Zhao Kairong, joined "Liwei Biotechnology", a local start-up specializing in the development of sea cucumber health products, two years ago. They are responsible for sea cucumber scientific research and marketing respectively; they love to discuss when "circling the stove" on weekdays. After learning about the skin care benefits of sea cucumber during her research, she came up with the idea of ​​launching skin care products that incorporate marine scientific research. With the support of her boss, she started her own business and formed her own new company "Mer-Veille".

Boss Xue Zhiwei is the fourth generation owner of the time-honored sea cucumber brand "Anxing Hao". A few years ago, he decided to enter into scientific research and launch sea cucumber health products. He is open to the idea of ​​​​employees' internal entrepreneurship. In addition to allowing them to use the company's scientific research technology, he also Contributed capital to become the majority shareholder of Mer-Veille. "Although they are the major shareholders, the decision-making power belongs to them. I told everyone before that I would do it as my own company, but I hope I don't have to explain it in words. Intrapreneurship is a good form, allowing everyone to grow together!"

Three girls born in the 1990s, Xu Biqin (left), Chen Lixuan (middle) and Zhao Kairong (right), started their own business in an innovation and technology company and launched Mer-Veille, a Hong Kong-made skin care product that combines sea cucumber research.

In the middle of this year, Mer-Veille, a local science-based skin care brand, launched its first product. In addition to selling it on its own website, it also quickly attracted a beauty website to invite cooperation and had earlier put it on the shelves at its pop-up store in Harbor City.

The brand's original ingredient "sea cucumber collagen peptide" extracted through scientific research technology, combined with polar brown seaweed extract and mother-of-pearl essence to create skin care products. It is a rare skin care brand in Hong Kong and even internationally that combines marine scientific research concepts.

"In recent years, there have been more and more local skin care brands, but this is the only one that combines scientific research on sea cucumbers. It is also our biggest selling point, and because we have just launched the product and have not started marketing, we have been able to attract the outside world. The main reason for inviting cooperation." said Chen Lixuan, co-founder and marine biologist of Mer-Veille.

Scientific research background is an advantage

Sea cucumbers are famous for their nourishing and health-preserving properties. They are regarded as a "sacred product for beauty" and are mainly used in dietary therapy. "When doing ocean research in the past, we have learned about the repairing ability of marine organisms. In particular, sea cucumbers are rich in collagen and have strong repairing and regenerating abilities. The amputated part can be slowly restored, and coupled with the antioxidant effect of sea cucumber collagen, many studies have shown that sea cucumbers are actually very suitable for making skin care products." Chen Lixuan explained.

After one and a half years of research and development and testing, Mer-Veille officially launched its essence and facial cream products combined with marine scientific research in the middle of this year, and handed them over to a local GMP foundry for production.

Sea cucumber is famous for its nourishing and health-preserving properties, and is regarded as a "sacred product for beauty."

However, it is difficult to apply sea cucumbers in skin care, so few companies in the global market use sea cucumbers to manufacture skin care products. In addition to choosing a suitable variety, the key is to solve the problem of decomposing and extracting related ingredients. For example, the collagen of sea cucumbers is a water-insoluble macromolecule. Direct use of sea cucumber powder cannot be absorbed by the skin, so complex enzymes and water must be added. Only by cutting off the chemical bonds of those large molecules and turning them into small molecules that are soluble in water can they be used in skin care products.

Mer-Veille will cooperate with local fish steaks and launch more products incorporating marine scientific research in the future to contribute to the promotion of the local aquaculture industry.

"The enzymatic hydrolysis technology we developed after joining the Liwei Biotechnology team can dissolve the collagen in sea cucumbers in water, which can be applied to the research and development of sea cucumber skin care products."

Chen Lixuan joined Liwei Biotechnology in 2000 with two female colleagues, Xu Biqin and Zhao Kairong, who were both born in the 1990s. Since they each have their own skin problems, including skin sensitivity, mask skin, etc., they love to discuss them while "circling the stove" Skin care experience, and also recommend skin care products to each other.

"After everyone learned about the skin care benefits of sea cucumbers, they wanted to try it themselves. They also thought that since we have a scientific research background and there are very few skin care products using sea cucumbers on the market, they all agreed that this positioning has a certain potential for hair growth!" They expressed excitement.

Time-honored sea cucumber brand engages in innovation and technology

However, the development of sea cucumber skin care products requires the use of enzyme hydrolysis technology developed by the company. In addition, the three girls are still young in the society. They hope to continue working for a while to accumulate experience and save money, so they proactively proposed sea cucumber skin care products to their boss. R&D projects and discuss cooperation plans for internal entrepreneurship. "The boss became our major shareholder and allowed us to use the company's scientific research resources. We have decision-making power and use the time after completing our regular work to run Mer-Veille."

They spent a year and a half on research and development and testing, and in the middle of this year they officially launched essence and facial cream products based on marine scientific research, and handed them over to a local GMP factory for production.

"What we are good at is scientific research. We leave the formulation to experts in this field, so that we can get twice the result with half the effort. In addition to continuing to launch more skin care products in the future, we will also refer to the business model of Liwei Biotechnology to extract the ingredients from sea cucumbers." The ‘collagen peptide’ ingredient is sold to other skin care companies.”

Xue Zhiwei (middle), the fourth generation descendant of the time-honored sea cucumber brand "Anxing Hao", and his uncle and brand manager Feng Rongli (left) co-founded a biotechnology company in 17 years, focusing on the research and development of sea cucumber capsule health products.

Cooking dried sea cucumbers requires soaking them in water a day in advance, which is quite troublesome. Therefore, Xue Zhiwei came up with the idea of ​​turning sea cucumbers into capsule health products for urbanites to take directly.

Xue Zhiwei, the boss of the three girls, is the fourth generation of the time-honored sea cucumber brand "Anxing Hao". He was originally a lawyer and returned to the family business after resigning in 12 years. In 2017, he and his uncle and the manager of the time-honored brand, Feng Rongli, , co-founded a biotechnology company, focusing on the research and development of sea cucumber capsule health products, and settled in the science park, bringing traditional industries to the innovation and technology stage.

The time-honored sea cucumber brand "On Hing Hao" is located in Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, commonly known as "Seafood Street" and has been standing in Hong Kong for nearly 80 years.

Xue Zhiwei leads the scientific research of his family's time-honored brand "Lao Mi" and is also open to the idea of ​​​​employees' intrapreneurship. "In the past, I told everyone that I would do it as my own company, and I hope to do my best to do it. It is not a lie. Intrapreneurship is a good form." , let everyone grow together!" Xue Zhiwei said.

Written by: Jiang Xiuhui Photographed by: Chen Yilong Designed by: Art Group

East Weekly reported on November 8, 2022