Alacrity Cleantech Talks

Origen Air Tackles Indoor Air Quality

Episode Summary

Season 2, Episode 3 of Cleantech Talks features host Peter Van Der Gracht in a conversation with Susan Blanchet, CEO at Origen Air, and Andrew Crawford, CTO at Origen Air. They discuss the company's origin story and how their clean technology works to improve indoor air quality in offices and other indoor spaces.

Episode Notes

-Peter Van Der Gracht, senior advisor at Alacrity Canada, talks to Susan Blanchet and Andrew Crawford of Origen Air about their company and operations in the cleantech sector

-origin story of the company; why Susan left her law career to join forces with serial entrepreneur, Andrew

-business model is a "humanistic enterprise model" 

-how environmental and social governance ratings influence decision-makers

-Origen Air's genetically modified plant products work to clean the air, while also reducing energy costs

-minimum standards for indoor air quality set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

-smart sensors and app will help decision-makers understand their indoor air quality better and improve standards

-impacts of COVID pandemic on the business; founding Origen Clean, a probiotic fogging company

-measuring an invisible problem, like indoor air quality, and then managing it through proprietary sensor technology and app

-customer focus and go-to-market strategies

-returns on investment and looking at the business model from an investor's perspective

-short-term milestones; the clean air delivery rate (CADR) of the Sentinel Purifier, the first of Origen Air's products

-funding programs and support for cleantech companies

-marketing strategies and the long-term plan to reach the global market

-the triple bottom line, caring about social responsibility and the environment in conjunction with profits

-why the team behind Origen Air believes that "nature always wins"