Struggling with pollution? Ordinary masks are not enough. Atovio, an Indian startup, is making wearable air purifiers that turn polluted air into your personal clean zone.
Anmay Shahlot, co-founder of Atovio and a graduate of IIM Indore, was working in a consulting firm in Gurugram. Life was comfortable, but the city’s air quality was a constant concern. Masks and room purifiers were insufficient. That was when he thought of making a personal air purifier. His friends Siddharth and Aditi joined him on his journey.
They named their company Atovio to reflect what they believe in. The name comes from combining two words, ‘atmosphere’ and ‘Vayu.’ ‘Ato’ comes from atmosphere, and ‘vio’ comes from Vayu. When building the product, their first goal was to make it effective. So, the team designed a product that could be worn easily for up to 12 hours a day, balancing comfort, effectiveness, and affordability. Their goal was simple: to make clean air protection practical for everyday use.
Everyone has seen air purifiers, but this one stands out for its size and personalisation. Anmay says, “This is a very Indian innovation because no other country faces air quality levels above 200AQI like India does. Our device is the only one tested and designed specifically for Indian pollution conditions. We even have a design patent for this product, which lets us confidently make these claims in public forums.”
The technology behind the device is different from standard room air purifiers, which use a HEPA filter and a fan to capture pollutants. “We use advanced variable anion technology, releasing around six million negative ions into the air. These ions attach to pollutants in the user’s breathing space, making them heavy and causing them to settle. Because of this, the device has no fan, no filter, and requires almost no maintenance,” Anmay adds.
The wearable purifier has been rigorously tested at India’s leading air quality lab, the National Aerosol Facility at IIT Kanpur. Tests were conducted in a space of about 35 cubic feet (approx. one cubic metre), which is the basis for their performance claims. However, actual results can vary depending on factors like wind speed, air quality, temperature, and humidity, just as with any air purifier.
Miniaturising the air purifier posed challenges, especially with battery life. The team upgraded to a 400mAh battery, giving the device a 48-hour runtime. With 10-12 hours of daily use, the battery can last about four days without charging, greatly improving convenience and reliability.
On sales and revenue, Anmay explains, “We officially launched in December last year. While we have sold over 10,000 units so far, it does not reflect the bigger picture. The first full season for air purification is yet to come, and sales are projected to grow significantly as air quality worsens during this period. As the demand for products like these increases, we expect even stronger growth in the coming months.”
Speaking about the challenges the startup faces, Anmay says, “I think awareness is still a big challenge. Many people do not realise how bad the air quality is. Besides awareness, product development and manufacturing in India are also challenging, especially for electronics. Working with different vendors can be difficult, and sometimes the quality or finish from vendors is not as expected. So, there are many hurdles on both the awareness and manufacturing sides.”
Looking ahead, the team is focusing on growth and scaling. They are hiring more people for marketing and operations, investing heavily in marketing campaigns, and increasing production capacity to meet the expected demand in the last quarter of the year. All these steps are aimed at ensuring that the product reaches more users and performs well during the high-pollution season.
