At LiberEat, our mission is to make food safer for everyone, and we love spotlighting other innovators dedicated to safety in the food safety industry.
As part of our Game Changers series, we’re thrilled to present an interview with Zak Marks, Co-Founder of Kitt Medical, a company revolutionising allergy care.
Zak turned his own personal experiences with severe allergies into a groundbreaking business protecting lives. In this interview, Zak shares insights into the origin of Kitt Medical, its impact on schools and qualifying businesses, and the future of allergy care. Check out the video here:
We recommend watching the full video above, but we have summarised some of the gold nugget answers from Zak below:
Zak: “Kitt Medical focuses on addressing the critical gaps in allergy management. We place adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), like EpiPens, in highly visible and accessible locations—similar to defibrillators. We track their expiry dates, ensure timely replacements, and provide ongoing training to staff in schools and qualifying businesses. We’ve designed a service that combines convenience, awareness, and rapid response to life-threatening allergic reactions.”
How did the idea for Kitt Medical come about?
Zak: “The idea began in 2019. I’ve had severe nut allergies since I was five, and I often found carrying adrenaline pens inconvenient, so I rarely did. During university, I jotted down in my notes to redesign the EpiPen, but I realised the issue was less about the pen’s design and more about accessibility and awareness.
My co-founder, James, and I teamed up during the pandemic, developed our first product, and ran a pilot with a few schools. Seeing its effectiveness, we refined our product into the Kitt system we use today.”
Who is your target audience for Kitt Medical?
Zak: “Schools were the first places we targeted because, since 2017, UK schools have been allowed to purchase and stock AAIs. It’s a controlled environment with trained staff and a rising number of children with severe allergies. We’re now expanding to workplaces, hospitality venues, leisure centres, and universities through occupational health. We recently launched in Alton Towers—our first major public venue—and more are in the pipeline.”
Can you share any specific success stories where Kitt Medical has made a real difference?
Zak: “One of the most touching stories is about a five-year-old boy named Finn from Scotland. Finn has severe allergies and raised funds through a charity bike ride to install a Kitt at his school. His efforts covered five years of support, including adrenaline pens and training.
Schools have also used Kitts seven times so far to treat life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Two recent incidents occurred within the last two months, and knowing we made a difference is incredibly emotional and rewarding for our team.”
How do you think having a Kitt Medical kit available affects the psychological well-being of people with severe allergies?
Zak: “It provides peace of mind and a sense of safety. We hear from parents and people with allergies that seeing an Anaphylaxis Kitt hanging on the wall is incredibly reassuring. It shows that the place takes allergy safety seriously, which is enormous for individuals and their families.”
Since launching, who have been your strongest allies in the wider industry?
Zak: “Anaphylaxis UK has been a fantastic ally. They’ve provided tremendous support and worked closely with us to raise awareness and launch our CPD-accredited online training course. We’re also about to announce another major partnership soon, which we’re very excited about.”
What’s been your biggest challenge so far in growing Kitt Medical?
Zak: “One of the toughest challenges is dealing with compliance and legislation. Only certain places, like schools, are allowed to purchase AAIs in the UK. Other organisations need special permissions, making it hard to expand quickly. It’s frustrating when businesses want to buy Kitt, but we cannot supply them due to these regulations.”
Tell us about your new Kitt Medical training course!
Zak: “We recently launched an updated CPD-accredited training course that thousands of staff members have completed already! It’s designed for schools and qualified businesses that purchase our Kitts.
We collaborated with experts, including Dr Helen Evans-Howells and Professor Adam Fox, to create in-depth video content that educates people on managing allergies and administering adrenaline in an emergency.”
Social media has been a huge part of your journey. How do you see its role evolving for Kitt Medical?
Zak: “Social media is key to raising awareness and encouraging inquiries. Platforms like LinkedIn are great for personal branding and professional connections, while Instagram and TikTok help us reach a wider audience. Around 25% of our sales come from inquiries generated through social media, so it’s been a vital tool for us.”
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to create impactful solutions in the health or safety sectors?
Zak: “My advice is to pilot everything.
Before scaling, ensure you’ve thoroughly tested your idea and collected feedback. Don’t rush into it. It’s better to adjust early rather than realising later that something’s not working.
Also, in health and safety, you need to care about the problem you’re solving truly. The people who will use your product depend on it, so customer obsession is key.”
What is your long-term vision for Kitt Medical?
Zak: “Our goal is to have Anaphylaxis Kitts in every public venue, alongside defibrillators.
We want allergy safety to be as common as heart health in public places.
Five years from now, I’d love to see our Kitts everywhere, ensuring everyone with severe allergies can feel safe wherever they go.”
Zak, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today. Where can people learn more about Kitt Medical?
Zack: “Visit the Kitt Medical website here or you can follow Kitt Medical on LinkedIn here.
Or follow our updates on Instagram, Twitter (X), or TikTok aka ‘Kitt-Tok’.”
On behalf of the LiberEat team, we’re excited to watch Kitt Medical grow and make public spaces safer for everyone! Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.
Who would you like to see on the next or regularly check back on our page for the next ‘LiberEat Game Changers’ Interview? Contact Michelle at [email protected] to let us know.