Greenairy is building smart plant towers to clean the air in your office

Smart plant towers that actively reduce VOCs are now an option for office air purification.

Greenairy, a startup co-founded by Tanvi Thombre and Lakshya Saraf, is developing smart plant towers designed to improve indoor air quality by removing toxic gases. The founders were inspired to create the technology after experiencing an incident of poor air quality in their university makerspace. Their solution focuses on enhancing the natural air-purifying capabilities of plants, claiming that by optimizing conditions around them, plants can break down volatile organic compounds (VOCs) more effectively than conventional air purifiers. Greenairy conducted pilot tests in Singapore, comparing their plant towers to an ionizer and a HEPA purifier. These tests indicated that the plant towers achieved lower VOC levels and faster removal rates. The company plans to begin large-scale manufacturing and customer installations in Singapore by the first half of 2027, following certification of their pilot results by TÜV SÜD.

Greenairy's approach addresses a gap in the market where traditional air purifiers are less effective against gaseous pollutants like VOCs. By leveraging plants and optimizing their environment, the company offers a natural, low-maintenance alternative that may also improve cognitive function and productivity as suggested by research. This could signal a broader trend towards integrating biophilic design with advanced technology to create healthier and more efficient workspaces.

The startup's claims, validated by pilot tests and pending certification from TÜV SÜD, suggest a potentially disruptive technology for the indoor air quality sector. Companies that prioritize employee well-being and productivity may find Greenairy's solution attractive, especially in urban environments where indoor air quality is a growing concern. The founders' distributed operational model, with one based in the Bay Area for fundraising and the other in Singapore for testing, also highlights a flexible approach to scaling a global startup.