The startup Greenairy is developing plant towers designed for indoor spaces, with the aim of addressing toxic gases in the air of offices, schools, hotels and commercial buildings, rather than merely capturing dust and fine particles. The company says initial trials conducted at sites in Singapore showed a 50% reduction in average levels of volatile organic compounds and their daily peaks during working hours.
The company’s idea began after its founders, Tanvi Thombre and Lakshya Saraf, were exposed while working in a university laboratory to fumes from laser cutters, 3D printers and soldering irons. According to Thombre’s account, they did not notice the problem until her close friend fainted and was taken to hospital. This led the founders to study indoor air pollution, particularly in buildings that rely on air conditioning and keep their windows closed.
From particle purification to targeting gases
Greenairy is based on the observation that conventional air purifiers may be effective at removing dust and pollen, but do not address gases such as carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and benzene to the same extent, many of which fall under the category of volatile organic compounds. According to information provided by the company, these substances are associated with chronic health risks and with what is known as sick building syndrome, in which building occupants experience health symptoms or discomfort without a specific disease being identified.
Greenairy’s towers collect air and direct it through a plant-based environment designed to accelerate the breakdown of gases, then release the purified air. The company says that modifying the conditions surrounding the plants makes them faster-acting than a plant grown in an ordinary pot. It also presents the plants as an alternative that does not require filters to be replaced periodically and that, according to its description, does not produce harmful byproducts.
Initial results require independent publication
In its tests, the company compared three offices: one equipped with Greenairy towers, a second with a medical ionizer and a third with an air purifier equipped with a HEPA filter. It used RESET-certified air-monitoring devices, and Saraf says the company’s towers recorded the lowest levels of volatile organic compounds and the fastest removal rate. Thombre also reported an immediate improvement during working hours, with further improvement as the plants and microbes matured.
However, these results have so far been presented by the company itself, and their full details have not yet been published. Greenairy says that the German testing and certification company TÜV SÜD verified the results and that it will publish them later, while they are currently available upon request. It is therefore not possible, based on the available material, to assess the sample size, the duration of the trials or whether the results can be replicated in different buildings and environments.
What changes in practice?
If the published results are confirmed, plant towers could offer a complementary option to air purifiers in places where gases and volatile organic compounds represent a problem independent of particles. However, practical reliance on them will remain linked to detailed testing data, maintenance requirements and the system’s long-term performance, as well as manufacturing and installation costs.
Saraf is currently in Berkeley, California, while Thombre is based in Singapore; the former is focusing on fundraising and the latter on testing. The company expects the founders to move to Singapore during the first half of 2027, when it plans to launch its first mass-produced towers and install them at its initial customers’ sites in Singapore.