27 Aug Startup fighting Air Pollution inspired by Founder’s Childhood dust allergy
Panjurli Labs is a social enterprise solving the core problem of particulate matter pollution, which can cause diseases like COPD, asthma, lung cancer, etc.
By its very nature a Social Startup requires that its founder be self motivated beyond just a profit motive. While motivation can come from many sources, strong self motivation is rooted in personal life experience. This is particularly true for Ashik S V, founder of Panjurli Labs, a climate tech and sustainability startup focused on solving the air pollution problem and currently a part of AIC-IIITH’s EPAM Social Impact Innovation program (ESIIP), an acceleration program funded by EPAM Systems India.
Panjurli Labs is a sustainability and climate tech startup providing cutting edge air filtration technology for commercial, residential and industrial applications. And if the name sounds familiar, then yes, the startup is named after the famed deity from Tulu Nadu, central to the movie Kantara.
The Beginnings: As a child Ashik faced severe health challenges in the form of dust allergies and associated respiratory problems. This motivated him to find a solution which could provide clean air in a sustainable manner as others also faced similar problems. While the idea of finding a solution to his problem was stuck in Ashik’s mind from his school days, it was only in his first year of Engineering college that he acquired the skills and technical know-how to develop a solution. He also filed a patent when in college.
Panjurli Labs: A blessing deified: To convert his innovation into a commercial solution for the masses, Ashik registered a company in 2021. Thus, Panjurli Labs was born in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Ashik used the lockdown times to complete formalities and strengthen the commercial aspects of the operations.
While air filtration systems are common, what differentiates Panjurli is their sustainable solution which is both cheaper to operate and more eco friendly. At present 99% of all other products in the market use a filtration system which is a cloth based single use HEPA filter. The HEPA filters get clogged and need to be replaced every 2-3 months in high pollution areas. Ashik says globally approx 7000 tons of discarded filters go to landfills or are incinerated every year. This plus process to making replacement adds to cost and carbon footprint.
The Journey so far: Panjurli’s solution uses specialized air movers to remove particulate matter. These units are self cleaning filters that last for 2-3 years and reduce cost and carbon footprint substantially [4-5 times less Carbon footprint then HEPA filters]. Thus their solution is much more sustainable and low cost of maintenance provides up to approx INR 4000 in savings over 2-3 years.
This USP also meant that Panjurli’s initial traction was organic. They had done no marketing, but the media recognition of their solution and the coverage of their patents, led to clients approaching them. Ashik built on this traction and now has done or is in process of completing 8 projects with 5 different companies including MNCs like GSK Pharmaceutical. Their product is SPM certified and collaboration with Social Alpha and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has installed 5 sustainable air purifiers inside Banashankari TTMC at Bengaluru. This TTMC has a footfall of 50,000 people and every day more than 5000 buses pass through this Bus terminal. They hope to be financially sustainable by next year. They have also worked on pharma company Otrivin’s CSR project providing filtration to Govt schools and converting some of the captured carbon into Pencils.
Pic 2: Panjurli Labs air purifiers inside Banashankari TTMC at Bengaluru
Pic 3: Pencil made from carbon captured by Panjurli Labs air purifiers. Source: https://campaignbriefasia.com/2023/02/06/otrivin-helps-indias-school-children-breathe-cleaner-by-transforming-toxic-air-into-pencils/
AIC-IIITH & EPAM’s role: In December 2022 they joined AIC-IIITHs ESIIP. The Mentor Cafes run under the program helped them identify new sectors for expansion. Monthly training sessions Ashik says helped him develop as an entrepreneur. The grants through EPAM help them accelerator their current and future R&D projects and Patents applications. Currently Panjurli is working on Ayurveda and Aromatherapy based air filtration for homes.
Ashiks says the startup ecosystem has been very helpful.. They were part of iLEAP accelerator by AIM and winners INDIA Clean Air challenge organized Social Alpha, Smart City mission etc and part of India Clean air summit. Under the INDIA Clean Air challenge they got a grant support of INR 20 lakhs.
Challenges faced: Ashik says the main hurdle he faced since the beginning is that people still don’t take air pollution seriously and see it as a real or pressing issue. He faces the constant challenge of trying to create awareness on the issue. Still Panjurli has started making an impact. Till date they have cleaned 2 Billion cubic feet of air. Their impact includes providing clean air to 1500 underprivileged children every day at three Government schools in Bengaluru.
Pic 4: Installation of Indoor Air Purifier at Peenya School
Way forward: Ashik’s vision for Panjurli Labs is to build it as a one stop destination for all air pollution problems. This would include expanding R&D effort to all air pollutants, not just particulate matter. In the short term, launch new products and focus on R&D and in the long term expand. Reach to other south Asian countries. They already have customers in the Middle east.
Ashik feels that being a founder takes a big part out of personal life and how he misses going to hometown but still he is enjoying the process.
This is the 2nd part of #StartupImpactStories series on Social Startups support by AIC-IIITH’s EPAM Social Impact Innovation program (ESIIP) funded by EPAM India. You can see the full series here.
Edited by Ravi Sarkunan.