This Gurgaon-based biotech start-up has developed plant-based air purifiers; how do they work?

UBreathe, a biotech start-up that develops plant-based air purifiers, has secured a big deal on the TV show Shark Tank India Season 2. The UBreathe team highlighted the critical impact of air pollution on human health and presented their products before the sharks.

The founders cited a recent study that revealed an average person in Delhi loses 10 years of life due to air pollution. In states such as Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, people are losing 2.5 to 3 years of life expectancy due to air pollution, it added.

The purifiers designed by the Gurgaon-based company combine the natural air-purifying capabilities of plants with modern technology. Their proprietary design enhances a plant's natural process of removing pollutants from the air, capturing all the contaminants in the air. This makes the product different from mechanical purifiers that only filter dust pollution.

Mechanical purifiers are also toxic to the environment. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories has tested and certified the product. It has also been reviewed and recommended by the faculty of AIIMS Delhi.

With their pitch, UBreathe impressed shark Namita Thapar with a deal worth Rs 1.5 crore. Popular as “Phar-maa” on the show, Thapar is the head and executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals.

The start-up, established in 2018, was founded by Sanjay Maurya, Akshay Goyal, Akhil Gupta, and Inderjeet Rao. The co-founders together have over 35 years of experience in tech innovation, design, and entrepreneurship. Their research is reportedly backed by institutes such as IIT Ropar, CIIE.CO, IIM Ahmedabad, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and the Nexus US Embassy Delhi. The company has filed six patents in Europe and India.

According to Mordor Intelligence, the Indian air purifier market is expected to rise at a CAGR of more than 5 percent during the forecast period of 2020-25. Degrading air quality and the increasingly health-focused mindset of people, alongside government initiatives, are expected to push the industry's growth.