UBREATHE, a biotech start-up in Gurgaon, located in the Delhi NCR region, secured a deal of almost $200,00 from Namita Thapar on the television show Shark Tank India Season 2.
The start-up, established in 2018, was founded by Sanjay Maurya, Akhil Gupta, Akshay Goyal and Inderjeet Rao with a cumulative experience of over 35 years in tech-innovation, design and entrepreneurship. The company has filed six patents in India and Europe.
Their research is reportedly backed by educational institutions such as IIT Ropar, CIIE.CO IIM Ahmedabad, as also India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and state-owned Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council. The project was incubated at NEXUS American Center, a collaboration between the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi, and USDA’s ACIR.
The company develops plant-based air purifiers that combine the natural air purifying capabilities of plants with modern technology. UBreathe says their proprietary design boosts a plant’s natural process of removing pollutants from the air with improved soil breathability. Unlike mechanical purifiers that filter only dust pollution and are highly toxic to the environment, their solution captures all the contaminants in the air.
Commenting on the market opportunity, Maurya said, “Per a recent report, the $335 billion global market for Indoor Air Quality Solutions is now expected to grow at 8.28 per cent in the next 4 years. Covid-19 has been a key driver for this growth. The pandemic has brought global attention to the issue of indoor air quality and the need to manage it to prevent airborne transmission of the virus. A product like ours can make a significant difference to millions of people.”
