Business Remedies | Rajshree Upadhyaya | Ubreathe’s journey began in 2018 in the choking air of Delhi NCR, where winters brought smog thick enough to turn the city into a public-health crisis. Children wheezed through school days, adults carried inhalers, and homes sealed with double-glazed windows still could not keep dangerous particles at bay. It was in this environment that Sanjay Maurya, Akhil Gupta, Akshay Goyal, and Inderjeet Rao came together with a different idea. Instead of fighting pollution with larger fans and thicker filters, they wondered if it was possible to amplify the power of nature itself. That question led to the birth of Ubreathe, a startup that turned living plants into biofilters supported by modern engineering.
Their technology was rooted not in the myth that a single plant could purify a room, but in the science of biofiltration. By directing airflow through a plant’s roots and microbial ecosystem, pollutants could be metabolized rather than just trapped. The team built prototypes that combined this natural process with conventional pre-filters, activated carbon, HEPA, and UV disinfection, creating systems that could show measurable improvements in air quality. When IIT Ropar publicly introduced Ubreathe Life in 2021, it was positioned as the first living-plant-based purifier capable of tackling particulate, gaseous, and biological contaminants. Unlike standard purifiers that competed only on CADR numbers, Ubreathe offered a solution with a scientific foundation and a sustainable vision.
Over time, the founders refined the design, filing patents around their “Breathing Roots” technology and bionic surface innovations. These systems were engineered to increase airflow residence time around the rhizosphere while still delivering real-time AQI improvements on a screen. While Ubreathe’s products claim pollutant capture up to 99.97% in line with HEPA standards, the real differentiation lies in sustainability. Because biofiltration carries much of the chemical load, HEPA filters last longer, reducing both replacement costs and environmental waste. This became the company’s north star-delivering cleaner air at lower lifetime costs without depending solely on disposable filters.
In 2023, Ubreathe took its story to Shark Tank India. Sanjay Maurya and his team pitched for 1.5 crore in exchange for 7.5% equity, valuing the company at 20 crore. The Sharks raised tough questions about efficacy, margins, and readiness, but Namita Thapar, recognizing its health potential, offered 50 lakh for 5% equity and 1 crore in debt at 10% interest. The founders accepted, and for a moment, it seemed like Ubreathe had secured a breakthrough. Yet, post-show negotiations told another story. Regulatory hurdles around structured debt stalled progress, due diligence never advanced, and eventually, the deal collapsed. The episode became a reminder that television deals are commitments in principle, not guarantees.
Despite this setback, Ubreathe pressed forward. By then, the company had served around a thousand customers, generated revenues of over 1.6 crore, and worked on projects with the UN House in Delhi, the Maharashtra government, and schools in Chennai. Financially, the path was modest, with revenues growing from 2.5 lakh in 2018-19 to 47 lakh in 2021-22 and gross margins of about 30%, though they remained loss-making with founders investing nearly 45 lakh of their own capital. Still, institutional validation kept them strong. NABL-accredited labs and IIT Ropar confirmed their claims, with studies showing AQI in a 150-square-foot room dropping from 311 to 39 in fifteen minutes. AIIMS Delhi faculty further endorsed the product for improving oxygenation in patients with respiratory issues.
Momentum strengthened again in 2025, when India’s Technology Development Board under the Department of Science and Technology extended support to Ubreathe’s parent entity, Urban Air Labs, for commercialization of wall-mounted purifiers. This was more than funding-it was a vote of confidence that plant-based purification could be scaled indigenously under the Make in India initiative. Alongside retail-facing products like Ubreathe Mini and Life, this institutional recognition positioned the brand at the intersection of research credibility and market relevance.
Ubreathe’s story is ultimately one of persistence and principle. It began as a personal mission shaped by the worsening air of Indian cities and evolved into a company balancing design, science, and sustainability. The Shark Tank deal may not have materialized, but it gave them visibility, while government support gave them a runway. In a market crowded with mechanical purifiers that generate waste and demand frequent filter changes, Ubreathe stands apart by combining biology and engineering. Their wager is that roots, microbes, and technology together can create cleaner air, not just for a season, but for the long run.
Written & Edited By:
Rajshree Upadhyaya
