A dream that began with a cardboard airplane.

From a little boy's innocent dreams to the real challenges of entrepreneurship—twenty years, one step at a time.

A dream that began with a cardboard airplane.

From a little boy's innocent dreams to the real challenges of entrepreneurship—twenty years, one step at a time.

hildhood Flight Dream
Every boy probably played with makeshift airplanes as a child. Grab a cardboard box, cut holes, attach two paper wings, spread your arms, and leap - believing you could fly. Back then, we didn't think “possible or not,” only “fun or not.”

The Beginning of Entrepreneurship

Twenty years ago, I started this company with a simple heart. It wasn’t easy—funding, connections, technology, pressure… I often thought of giving up. Looking back, I’ve stumbled, failed, and grown. The child who dreamed of flying is still inside me. Now, I move forward. Twenty years is not the end, but a new beginning.

Grandpa Wu’s Legacy

Before Entrepreneurship – Learn or It Will Be Lost

Grandpa's Request

As a child, I often followed my grandfather outdoors to gather herbs and helped him prepare them at home. A few years before he passed, he gave me what felt more like a plea than an order: “If you don't learn this, no one will carry it on. Herbs will one day be valued; I might not live to see it, but you can.”

The Starting Point of Inheritance
Grandpa taught me extensively about herbs, especially Hibiscus Taiwanensis. He insisted: “This plant is important. Pass it on - it can help many.” Carrying his hopes, I embarked on the entrepreneurial path.

Naïve Beginnings
At first, I thought simply: plant a large field, harvest, grind, mix, bottle, and sell. If lucky, make good money - just like learning to make a bird fly.

Reality Hits
What I hadn’t been told was just how much harder it would be. The Hibiscus Taiwanensis my grandfather prized had no official recognition. Foreigners often confused it with Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; Asians sometimes called Hibiscus mutabilis by mistake. Most product labels borrowed names from related species. And despite being endemic to Taiwan, the plant had no official approval for use by health authorities at the time.

Getting Started

2001-2004

Learning the Hard Way
In 2001, I founded the Herbal Research Center, focusing on Malvaceae plants, Hibiscus species, and Hibiscus Taiwanensis compounds. I planted a large field in Liugui, hoping for a good harvest - but a typhoon’s floodwaters harvested it instead, a shocking first lesson in entrepreneurship.

First Steps: Soap
Around 2004, carrying a bag of herbal powder, I camped outside a factory in Pingtung for several nights. This led to Hibiscus International’s first product: Hibiscus Cleansing Soap. Friends expected high-tech products, yet the first release was just a bar of soap - more ridicule than applause.

Guidance from Tradition
That year, I visited Nankunshen Daitian Temple to seek divine guidance on which of my grandfather’s formulas to develop. After a favorable answer, our second product was decided. Many certified cosmetic factories had rejected us - until we met Dr. Hsieh, then a pharmacy student at Kaohsiung Medical University. We instantly connected. Looking back, I understand the refusals: the first - generation Hibiscus Gel was powdered, prone to contaminating production lines.

Two Tumultuous Years

2005-2006

Safety and Efficacy

When the first-generation Hibiscus Gel launched, it faced skepticism: “Is Hibiscus Taiwanensis safe?” Even the Compendium of Materia Medica only mentioned Mallow. In 2006, I commissioned Chia Nan University to conduct antioxidant experiments, producing the company's first official paper.

The First Big Order
Our first major revenue came from the Hibiscus Resort Hotel at Zengwen Reservoir. Thanks to the Executive VP and President Mr. Lin Hong-Zong, I developed a range of products - soaps, teas, powders, and serums - which were sold at the hotel and as festive ouvenirs. This marked a true starting point for the company.

Biotech Discoveries
By late 2006, we extracted Hibiscus compound into a gel - the second-generation Hibiscus Gel - with superior appearance and texture. Different extraction methods and dosages produced drastically different effects, reinforcing the value of internal research over external studies.

Building the Brand
Long-term growth required a brand, not just products. I invested in packaging design, trademark registration, and logo creation to protect my grandfather's formula. At the same time, third-party testing ensured product safety and efficacy.

Running Out of Funds

2007

All the startup capital came from my own savings, bit by bit. But I soon realized a biotech company burns money far faster than imagined. At one point, all I had left were a small bank balance, unsold warehouse products, and a skeptical market. I even tested my own hand with boiling water and photographed it. Looking back, I truly ask myself: where did that courage come from?

Contaminated Production Line?

2007-2009

The first-generation Hibiscus Gel was powdered, so many contract manufacturers hesitated to take orders. Eventually, I met Dr. Hsieh (then a pharmacy student), who took some powder to his lab. It unintentionally spread to another group's Petri dishes, causing repeated bacterial culture failures. When he saw the cause under the microscope, he immediately called: “Your stuff has antimicrobial properties.” That year, the female-targeted Private Care Gel was launched.

We then entered the Agricultural Biotechnology Innovation Incubation Center under the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, and began experiments on wound healing and antibacterial effects. My eight years of experience were finally organized from “points” into “lines” and “surfaces” for academic validation. I’m grateful to the Agricultural Research Institute officers for letting a small company step onto the agricultural biotech stage.

Biotech Practitioner, Not a Businessperson

2010

After process and packaging improvements, the Hibiscus Repair Gel received positive feedback and stabilized sales. It also passed SGS antimicrobial testing. Years earlier, Kaohsiung Medical University had shown Hibiscus taiwanensis has antimicrobial properties, though I didn't know the strength of the data.

We later obtained a second certification - an edible safety assessment commissioned to Chung Chou University, approved by the Food Industry Research and Development Institute. This enabled the 2011–2012 university-industry project: “Development of Bioactive Anti-Diabetic Products from Taiwan Endemic Flora Hibiscus taiwanensis,” with government support.

To differentiate from similar products, I registered HERCET® as the company's exclusive Hibiscus complex trademark. The company became HERCET Biotech Co., Ltd, and we started large-scale cultivation in Dawu Mountain. After ten years, I finally felt like a true “biotech practitioner.”

Harsh Business Competition

At the time, with easing cross-strait relations and frequent tourism, the Hibiscus gel became a hot seller tied to the Alishan story. Few knew I created this marketing storyline around 2004, at my keyboard, smoke rising between my left-hand fingers, each keystroke typed with care. Once the market heated up, competition surged. Many companies copied my sales copy outright, some even without changes. Some undercut prices in my channels; my presentation files and DM content were copied wholesale, without credit. Even my registered Hibiscus trademarks and photos were misused.

Worse, false rumors spread claiming a former partner left because I mismanaged products. Friends asked, “Why not sue?” Because… besides teaching me herbal knowledge, my grandfather taught two lessons: help those in need for free, and show restraint in disputes. The truth is, I simply didn’t have the funds to hire a lawyer.

Focus resources on areas with growth

When we were kids, we all read about the Wright brothers. They achieved the world's first controlled, powered flight. Later, Boeing became a leading aircraft maker, but it wasn't founded by them. They spent much energy on patents and lawsuits, lacking a strategy for growth.

Had they focused on research and business, aviation history might have been very different. A giant like Boeing could have been born from their hands. This reminds me: limited resources should go where they matter most. Improving technology and building market strength outweigh short-term disputes.

Some competitors twist our website copy to mislead consumers. I focus energy and scarce resources where needed, ignoring distractions.

Sweat for sowing, and you will rejoice at the harvest. Sweat for copying, and you will face barren fields.

Focus resources on areas with growth

When we were kids, we all read about the Wright brothers. They achieved the world's first controlled, powered flight. Later, Boeing became a leading aircraft maker, but it wasn't founded by them. They spent much energy on patents and lawsuits, lacking a strategy for growth.

Had they focused on research and business, aviation history might have been very different. A giant like Boeing could have been born from their hands. This reminds me: limited resources should go where they matter most. Improving technology and building market strength outweigh short-term disputes.

Some competitors twist our website copy to mislead consumers. I focus energy and scarce resources where needed, ignoring distractions.

Sweat for sowing, and you will rejoice at the harvest. Sweat for copying, and you will face barren fields.

First Showcase in Taipei - Condensed

2012-2014

For the first time, our company was recommended by the Executive Yuan's Agricultural Biotechnology Program. For three years, we participated in Taiwan Biotechnology Month, with our booth in the Agricultural Biotechnology Center section. Standing there was made possible by countless opportunities along the way. During this period, HERCET Biotech Co., Ltd’s large-leaf Hibiscus taiwanensis anti-diabetes research was published in three international journals. That year, we were listed as a key supported enterprise; the next year, we received the “Outstanding Product Manufacturer” award.

After three busy years, discussing money was emotionally taxing, and avoiding it was physically draining. Our first-generation health maintenance products did not generate remarkable revenue. I recall standing at Nankunshen Daitian Temple, casting divination blocks for each item we planned to develop. Looking back, I understand why most often the blocks came up half-smile or fully down. Perhaps it was time to rethink our R&D focus: should we reposition the “diabetes” line, or at least make necessary adjustments?

Li Shizhen had to die twice

2016

After developing the next-generation extract, I considered ending the old formula. But cost analysis showed their structures differed, so I sold both. To meet market needs, I created four versions B, S, W, and C each for specific uses. How should the new formula be positioned? I first introduced it to the beauty industry. The sales team reported customers always asked: “Is Hibiscus taiwanensis safe?” The question instantly reminded me of early struggles, like Sun Wukong's head tightening under Guanyin's mantra - I felt a sharp headache.

In 2014, the Ministry of Health and Welfare banned citing classical texts, like Compendium of Materia Medica, to prove safety. I thought, “Li Shizhen would have to die again.” Following Dr. Hsieh's advice, I tested HERCET® Hibiscus taiwanensis extract on HaCaT keratinocytes (not humans), the simplest, safest, legally compliant method, which passed successfully. Now the sales team had a safety study to support marketing. Regulations were tightening, and I needed new ways to navigate them.

The Inescapable “Barrier”

2018-2019

Seeking a bigger stage and harsher market, I turned to medical aesthetics, where doctors - not customers - became the gatekeepers. Their first question was always: “Is Hibiscus taiwanensis safe? Any papers?” The barrier lingered. Heavy metal, drug, and antimicrobial tests, to doctors, felt like Michelin secret inspections - decent, but not yet remarkable. So I sought partners for medical-grade testing.

I funded research and supplied Hibiscus taiwanensis composite extract, helping a PhD dissertation prove that HERCET® had stronger skin-repair effects than single extracts. My grandfather was right: formulas surpass isolates. We launched IRB certification (KMUHIRB-F(I)-201800041) and entered Kaohsiung Medical University's Wound Care & Hyperbaric Oxygen Center and the Regenerative & Cosmetic Therapy Demonstration Center.

The next year, our “JARIO Repair Gel” and “Feminine Care Gel” passed ISO-10993 biocompatibility tests. Over three years, we advanced studies and certifications, with IRB trials confirming HERCET®-s improved wound healing and scar outcomes in tension sutures, while also presenting at the Taiwan Wound Care Society Conference.

In the Name of HERCET®

2020-2021

After more than a decade in business, my proudest moment was giving Taiwan's endemic Hibiscus taiwanensis its true identity. Once borrowing others' names, it became HERCET®, registered with its first international ID—INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). We could now openly claim its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and skin-repairing properties. INCI provides a global standard for ingredient naming, ensuring transparency for consumers, brands, and regulators. The next year, HERCET® was also listed in the EU's CosIng database, gaining entry to Europe.

Meanwhile, the HERCET® Intimate Care Gel completed a 2.5-year clinical study at Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital IRB (KMUHIRB-F(I)-201800041), assessing women with recurrent vaginal infections and menopausal genitourinary symptoms. Our long-time bestseller, Baicaohe Hibiscus Repair Gel, also passed a 24-hour patch test at Korea's Ellead.

Preparation for

Preparation for a New Frontier

2022-2024

My early lessons—first from planting in Liugui District and later through cooperation with the Dawu Mountain indigenous community—became valuable experiences. With rising product standards and global shifts such as ESG, B Corporations, and carbon neutrality, we partnered with Yonglin Organic Farm to pilot commercial cultivation of Hibiscus taiwanensis. Meanwhile, our own farm achieved TFA organic certification, taking another steady step forward.

The HERCET®-w gel project also commenced at the IRB of Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital. The study, Clinical Effects of Hibiscus taiwanensis Extract on Women with Genitourinary Symptoms of Menopause, spanned six years and was successfully published in an international journal. Our patented natural compound HERCET® was also granted a CAS registration by the American Chemical Society, securing global recognition.

Twenty years of slow journey, one story at a time

2025

You may have spent ten minutes reading my twenty-year journey. From youth to middle age, my company’s research projects move steadily, and I am slowly fulfilling my grandfather’s legacy. Entrepreneurship is a long trek. Without big funds or a large team, I learned step by step—sometimes slow, sometimes pausing, then trying again. From failed experiments to our first product, every step was hard but worth it.

Still, I don't know if I am standing in Kathmandu, gazing at the Himalayas from afar, or already within the last few hundred meters before reaching Everest. The only certainty is this: there will hardly be another twenty years ahead. I can only hope the results come soon - and give myself strength for the journey.