What are the trends in air quality solutions? What solutions are available, especially for businesses? In this context, U-Earth-with Pure Air Zone-has a truly unique positioning, far from selling a single purifier. The answer? At the end of the article ;)
Air quality market: who’s playing the game?
In recent years, air quality has become a really serious problem for people’s health and the environment. It looks like humans are an “indoor species”, spending inside buildings almost 90% of our time, where air quality is from 2 to 5 worse. From office work to sports.
We have some good news today. The market for air quality products and solutions is growing and evolving. Even the monitoring tools segment (air quality monitor) is growing, meaning only one thing. Awareness about the fact that "clean air means health" is increasing, so the demand of people and companies for air purification tools is rising, and this is fostering the development of old and new vendors: we got the urge to get to know them better (after all, they are colleagues ;-)!).
So we ran a research, we created an analysis panel, consulting some market reports - including “5 Top Indoor Air Purification Solutions in Engineering” by StartUS Insights and “Global Indoor Air Purification Market – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029” by Data Bridge Market Research - plus Google searches and even Chat GPT insights.
At this stage of the study, we identified 94 companies active in the air purification industry.
H2 Clean air providers: the market map and how to choose them
Once the panel was defined, we ranked the various brands according to several parameters. Specifically, market approach, technology used, type of contaminant handled, and company profile were considered.
H3 The angle of air quality vendors: B2C or B2B?
The first parameter considered was the approach to the market, B2C - products aimed at the residential market and individuals - or B2B -products or solutions designed for companies. 34% of the players are primarily oriented toward the B2B market, i.e., companies and public agencies that need air purification solutions for their workplaces. Only 5% target exclusively the B2C market, i.e., consumers who want to improve the air quality in their homes. The majority of the companies analyzed (61%) target both the B2B and B2C markets, with - however - a clear predominance in their offerings of products for residential and domestic use.
For example, U-Earth specializes exclusively in B2B solutions aimed for companies, with a consultative approach that includes air quality assessments, advice on how to improve air quality in working environments based on the data collected.
Many possibilities; traditional HEPA technology is the most popular
The second parameter considered in the analysis was the technology deployed by companies for air purification. The most popular technologies are High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA), activated carbon, UV-C light, photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO), photocatalytic oxidation (PCO), batteries, and enzymes. HEPA is the most popular. Other technologies follow at a distance.
Again, U-Earth stands out clearly, because it is the only solution that is centered on biooxidation by enzymes and bacteria, in combination with molecular attraction: a totally natural approach that does not just filter particles but neautralises them. And that is complemented by a suite of other technologies: cloud computing, IoT and AI.
Polluted air: a potpourri of contaminants surrounds us!
The third parameter considered was the type of contaminant handled by different technologies. Some technologies are more effective at removing particulates, while others are capable of removing gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), viruses, fungi, bacteria, or mold.
Our solution is characterized by having a holistic approach to contaminants, both biological and environmental, which both threaten the health of people in workplaces where we spend so much of our lives.
The 4 (+1) identities of the various players
Finally, the company profile, understood in the sense of market focus, was analyzed. Companies were divided into five main categories, electronics vendors, indoor air quality companies, sanitization companies - focusing on sterilization - and air purifiers product companies.
U-Earth, with Pure Air Zone, is in the Indoor Air Solutions category, but differs because it combines specialized expertise on air quality (purification, not ventilation the comforts) with a holistic approach and a special business model. U-Earth provides Clean air as a service model: somewhat like electricity, gas, WiFi, embeddable into companies' ESG strategies, goals and impact reports.
In conclusion, the market for air purification products still seems fragmented, with evolving assets and very different profiles. A product approach prevails, as opposed to a more service-oriented approach that makes the experience much easier for companies that want to keep customers and employees safe, improve productivity, and have a positive impact on the planet through clean air.
