While most business or entrepreneurial competitions focus on cash rewards, in the Route to Market competition, there’s no prize money — and that’s intentional. Instead, entrepreneurs gain what’s truly priceless: access to decision-makers, strategic input and lasting business relationships.
About the competition
The Route to Market competition – now in its third year – is designed to support and accelerate the growth of emerging businesses in the country’s medical and health industry. Finalists receive specialised mentorship and business learning from GIBS faculty and industry experts and undergo intensive pitch preparation, culminating in two rounds of pitching to senior executives and decision-makers from Aspen.
A deserving winner
For Augustine Nwozor, founder and Managing Director of UltraPure HOCL (Pty) Ltd — and the winner of the Aspen Route to Market 2025 — the experience has played a defining role in shaping the next stage of his entrepreneurial journey.
UltraPure HOCL produces a stable, long-lasting form of hypochlorous acid — 99.99% pure — the result of a unique stabilisation process Augustine perfected over years of research and innovation. This breakthrough enables safe, medical-grade wound care and infection control across hospitals, pharmacies and everyday healthcare settings.
His ability to turn this internationally patented product into widely accessible healthcare solutions made him a standout contender in this year’s competition.
Reflecting on his experience, Augustine says the training sessions immediately helped him strengthen his strategy. “The first session was very insightful — the feedback helped us refine our marketing language, think more carefully about margins and learn how to scale responsibly.”
Between rounds, he applied this guidance directly to his business. “We were advised to laser-focus on our two best-performing products. Doing that increased our sales within a month.”
Real access. Real networking. Real opportunity.
Augustine says the true value of Route to Market lies in the quality of mentorship and access it provides. “Bouncing ideas off people with real experience and receiving their guidance added enormous value. Aspen Route to Market builds your business acumen and confidence — it feels like a long-term benefit, not a once-off prize.”
Support from Aspen, he adds, would be catalytic. “One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced is getting access to the hospital market – the difficulty lies in getting into the right channel, meeting the right people and gaining access to decision makers to allow our product to speak for itself. A relationship with Aspen could help open doors for us and could result in our business scaling significantly.”
This approach reframes entrepreneurship support — moving from short-term prize incentives to long-term business opportunity and ecosystem growth. Because when doors open, opportunity follows.
Turning access into opportunity
For Augustine and UltraPure HOCL (Pty) Ltd, winning Aspen Route to Market 2025 is not an endpoint, but a starting point. With sharper strategic clarity, strengthened industry relationships and direct access to one of the world’s leading medical networks, the business stands at the threshold of meaningful opportunity. As UltraPure HOCL (Pty) Ltd grows, its journey signals what’s possible when innovation and access intersect — and when entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to meet the market on equal footing.
For more information about the Aspen Route to Market challenge and future opportunities, please visit www.routetomarket.co.za/
