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about us

Founded in 2019, Origen Air™ was born from a deeply personal commitment to improving indoor air quality and well-being. Our CEO, Susan Blanchet, driven by her father’s health struggles, embarked on a mission to address the negative effects of poor air quality. Through exclusive global distribution rights to genetically enhanced golden pothos plants, developed at the University of Washington, Origen Air™ offers a revolutionary solution for removing man-made toxins from indoor air, ensuring not just cleaner air but a healthier, more productive environment for all.
After securing intellectual property rights for our plants in 2019, we transitioned from pilot to commercialized. Our Pinnacle™ solution started generating revenue in Q3-2022. Origen Air™ has established sales with TELUS, Hudson Pacific Properties, and BentallGreenOak, and is scaling rapidly in 2023.
Origen Air™ Systems Ltd. is expanding its product line to include a desktop unit. The residential/home air purifier is currently in development and will be available in 2024.

Mission

Origen Air™ is dedicated to creating the world’s most efficient and aesthetically pleasing living air purifiers, ensuring safe and healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) for humanity to thrive.

Vision

Origen Air’s™ vision is to restore and protect our most important resource, the air we breathe, by becoming the largest genetically modified biofiltration company in the world.

Culture

At Origen Air™ our culture is rooted in delivering sustainable, reliable, and efficient indoor air quality solutions to people all around the world. Origen Air™ understands the importance of indoor air quality and the implications poor IAQ has on health and wellbeing, specifically for people with health conditions, allergies, and asthma.

Origen Air™ provides indoor air quality solutions developed with people and the planet in mind.

Our products align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 (good health and well-being), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and 13 (climate change).

Our Founder

Introducing Susan Blanchet, the visionary founder and CEO of Origen Air. Susan is an accomplished individual deeply committed to environmental sustainability and global impact. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Environmental Studies, and History, along with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Victoria, she transitioned from her 14-year role as an environmental lawyer and member of the Climate Action Legal Team for the Province of BC, to become a pioneering CEO in clean technology.

Driven by a personal connection – her father’s dementia diagnosis linked to toxic exposures – Susan delved into the world of air purification. Combining her expertise in law, environmental studies, and real estate, she developed innovative solutions to address poor air quality. Susan’s passion led her to Cambodia, where witnessing the challenges faced by students inspired her to establish a new school, showcasing her deep commitment to community and education.
A recognized figure in cleantech and innovation, Susan has spoken at numerous industry events and earned accolades such as the 2023 WE Empower United Nations SDG Challenge Awardee and Gold Winner of the Stevie Awards 2023 Thought Leader of the Year. In her personal life, Susan treasures her role as a mother to Keegan (22), Jordy (20), and Luke (17). She seeks solace in nature, indulging her love for sailing, cycling, and mountain adventures.

our Community

Canadian owned Origen Air™  has created strong ties with the Victoria, BC business community through hiring, training, and mentoring co-op students. Maintaining similar capacity growth strategies in the partner communities, Origen Air™ will provide further training and work opportunities for members of local First Nations communities as well as young co-op students.

Origen Air™ just completed a BC Fast Pilot project with Malahat First Nations with the intent of improving indoor quality of life for this marginalized segment of society. Results of this project will be used to escalate our technology across similar communities across North America.

Market Overview

Explore the exciting realm of commercial real..
Explore the exciting realm of commercial real estate asset management with us. In the wake of the post-COVID era, the industry giants find themselves engaged in a fierce competition, striving to allure and retain premium corporate clients in a leasing market that is both ultra-competitive and highly profitable. Commercial asset managers are on the lookout for innovative solutions, embarking on a mission to secure healthy building options that deliver triple-bottom-line benefits for their company and our precious planet.
At Origen Air™, we cater to two distinct yet interconnected
At Origen Air™, we cater to two distinct yet interconnected market segments: commercial real estate management and professional offices and institutions. Within the sphere of commercial real estate management, challenges abound, from dwindling building occupancy rates to apprehensive tenants reluctant to resume in-person work. Simultaneously, professional offices and institutions grapple with concerns ranging from post-COVID health and safety issues to productivity challenges. Add to this mix HVAC systems that struggle to deliver clean air precisely where it's needed the most – be it a boardroom or a patient treatment area.
In this dynamic landscape, Origen Air™ emerges as a
In this dynamic landscape, Origen Air™ emerges as a beacon of innovation, addressing these pressing concerns head-on. Join us on this transformative journey, where we revolutionize the way commercial spaces breathe, ensuring a healthier, safer, and more productive environment for everyone involved.
Air pollution presents a health risk that impacts both..
Air pollution presents a health risk that impacts both GDP and healthcare costs. The harms associated with air pollution are being noted by the UNEP, World Health Organization (WHO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and The Clean Air Fund. Air pollution presents an environmental health crisis pushing corporations and commercial asset managers to find reliable, sustainable, and efficient solutions that improve indoor air quality for their customers and employees while minimizing CO₂ emissions. It is Origen Air’s™ mission to deliver clean air to building occupants while promoting the development of zero emission buildings to mitigate climate change
The indoor air quality global market is expected..
The indoor air quality global market is expected to grow from USD $24 billion in 2021 to USD $73.4 billion in 2028 and estimated to grow at a 17.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). In 2022, the global HVAC market was valued at USD $136.3 billion. The global HVAC market is expected to grow at a 6.3% CAGR from 2023 to 2030.

Model

Origen Air™ provides the Clean-Air-as-a-Service OPEX model, a premium health and safety solution for an affordable monthly fee. This includes air consultations, installation, maintenance, and data reporting, ensuring a premium experience for clients. We maintain healthy margins through hardware retention, quality customer service, and data reporting, while our land-and-expand opportunities drive the success of this model in B2B markets. We currently sell and lease (24 months) Pinnacle™ Air Purifiers directly to businesses and through interior design and green wall sales channel partners. We also sell air quality sensors and reporting to clients who want to measure improvements to air quality and earn up to 6 additional points on WELL, GRESB, Fitwel, and Reset.

Consumer Trends

With rising air pollution, air purifiers have become an essential tool in combating harmful contaminants in indoor air. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, urging individuals to take action to enhance indoor air quality. As a result, the demand for air purifiers that effectively eliminate airborne pollutants is rapidly increasing, propelling the air purification market to new heights and providing solutions for those who want to provide healthier and safer indoor spaces.

Why Origen Air™

Origen Air’s™ air purification systems are unique because they incorporate golden pothos ivy plants bioengineered to express a mammalian liver enzyme. These super plants add an additional layer of air purification by degrading man-made toxins like benzene, toluene, and cumene, which come from household products such as paints, detergents, glues, furniture wax, and gasoline. Origen Air’s™ super plants showed a baseline total volatile organic compound (man-made toxin) reduction of 40% in the field when compared to wild type plants.
Origen Air™ harnesses the intrinsic ability of plants to improve air quality and utilizes living organisms to more effectively supply clean air to indoor spaces. When nature is brought to spaces where it is normally excluded, the connection between people and the planet is strengthened. Cleaning indoor air allows for a significant reduction in outdoor air exchanges. Reducing air exchanges increases heat retention within the building. This strategy has been shown to reduce up to 40% of building energy consumption.

The Problem

As hybrid work models become a certainty, the need for productive and collaborative in-office days is upon us. The office of tomorrow requires more than just face-to-face communication; it needs to prioritize the health and well-being of employees. Office managers require safe clean air, healthier workspaces, and real-time data to attract and retain top talent from highly competitive job markets.

The Pinnacle's biofilter (bioengineered plants) and MERV filtration system work together to remove PM 2.5, VOCs (our super plants are 92x more effectively than regular plants), and CO2, while balancing relative humidity levels, thereby promoting better well-being and productivity.

Our Solution

Indoor air pollution poses significant health risks and environmental concerns. Origen Air's innovative SMART Air Purifiers offer a comprehensive solution. Our flagship product, the Pinnacle™, combines traditional air purification methods with genetically engineered golden pothos ivy plants, ensuring efficient absorption of indoor air pollutants.

Equipped with indoor air quality sensors, the Pinnacle™ provides measurable improvements and facilitates the identification and resolution of IAQ challenges, promoting the well-being and productivity of staff.

The Innovation

At Origen Air™, we’ve reimagined the way we interact with the environment and harness nature’s own abilities to enhance indoor air quality. By introducing plants into traditionally plant-excluded spaces, we not only purify the air but also strengthen the connection between people and the planet. This harmonious integration of nature has an additional benefit – it significantly improves people’s overall well-being. Healthy buildings are a gateway to substantial reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, conserving heat within a building represents one of the most impactful opportunities for energy reduction. Origen Air™ has pioneered a holistic and sustainable approach to indoor air purification. By effectively cleaning indoor air, we achieve a remarkable reduction in the need for outdoor air exchanges. This, in turn, contributes to retaining heat within the building, leading to potential energy savings of up to 40%.

The Technology

Origen Air’s air purification systems are truly innovative. We’ve ingeniously integrated specially bioengineered golden pothos ivy plants, equipped with mammalian liver enzymes, into our systems. These remarkable “super plants” add an additional layer of air purification by degrading harmful man-made toxins, such as benzene, toluene, and cumene, commonly found in household products like paints, detergents, glues, furniture wax, and gasoline. In the field, our super plants have demonstrated a baseline reduction of up to 40% in total volatile organic compounds (man-made toxins) when compared to their wild-type counterparts.

At Origen Air™, our commitment to innovation and technology drives us to create solutions that not only improve air quality but also enhance our connection to the environment. We believe that by working hand in hand with nature, we can create healthier, more sustainable indoor spaces while making a significant contribution to energy conservation and reducing our carbon footprint.

Press & News

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Awards and Traction

Origen Air™ is the recipient of the 2022 Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Innovation Business Award, Douglas Magazine Ten to Watch 2022, the International Beyond Crisis High Level Forum Award, Rocketbuilders Emerging Cleantech Rocket, and Origen Air™ appeared on the 17th season of Dragons’ Den in 2022.

Origen Air™ is a 2023 BC Green Business Gold Certified Company, was nominated for the Viatec awards: Product of the Year and Startup of the Year, and was a semi-finalist in the KPMG Tech Innovator Competition. Origen Air™ is expecting to become a B Corp certified company this year (application submitted in Februrary and currently under review).

Origen Air’s™ CEO Susan Blanchet was chosen by The 51 and Alberta Innovates for the Top 30 Female Canadian Founders Herstory Pitch Competition and was a finalist for the 2022 MaRS Women in Cleantech, Woman Business Enterprise Canada (WBE Canada) Top Rising Star Award, and the 2023 Women in Business Stevie Awards - Female Thought Leader of the Year (Business Services) . Recently, Susan was chosen as the 2023 WE Empower UN SDG Challenge awardee for the the Europe and North America region, and attended New York Climate Week where she represented and pitched Origen Air™ to top climate change professionals.

She has spoken on over 50 cleantech panels locally and internationally, including: Ones to Watch in 2022 showcase by Cleantech Forum, Lessons Learned in IP Strategy presented by Innovation Asset Collective and Innovate BC, Startup Canada Tour, IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference, and 2023 RealComm IBcon Proptech Launchpad Showcase in Las Vegas. Additionally, Susan has attended trade missions to Japan, India, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand, and will be travelling to South Korea and Thailand for a women’s trade mission this fall.

Additionally, Origen Air™ has received funding from NRC-IRAP and Innovate BC for a 2022/23 BC Fast pilot project and recently received seed funding from SDTC to support our innovative technology in the field in Vancouver and Toronto.

Origen Air™ and its innovative biophilic technology has been featured in the Toronto Star, WBE Magazine, Douglas Magazine, Victoria Tech Journal, Vancouver Tech Journal, TREND TV Show, BCBusiness, the Vancouver Economic Commision, The Seattle Times, boulevard Magazine, and more.

Accelerating success through user base, revenue, satisfaction, and partnerships.
Origen Air™ exhibits impressive growth, strong partnerships, and consistent financial performance while prioritizing customer satisfaction and expanding market reach through collaborations with vendors and retailers. The company has achieved several significant milestones in its journey as a company and in the development of its product. These milestones include:
  • Finalist in BC Tech TIA Awards: Company of the Year - Startup 2023 (Winner announced in November).
  • Won the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Innovation Business Award 2022.
  • Named Douglas Magazine 10 to Watch Winner of 2022.
  • Finalist for the 2022 Woman Business Enterprise Excellence Awards.
  • Nominated for 2022 Interior Design’s Best of Year Award.
  • Nominated by Coast Capital Innovation Center for SDTC Fund and Recipient of $100,000 grant.
  • Semi-finalist in the KMPG Tech Innovator Competition.
  • Finalist (Top Thirty Female Founders in Canada) for the 2022 HerStory pitch competition.
  • Nominated for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award.
  • 2022 Angels for Climate Solutions startup cohort.
  • Certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) Canada 2021-Present.
  • Certified Women Enterprise (WE) International 2023.

2023 BC Green Business Gold Certified.

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©2024 Origen Air. All Rights Reserved.
©2023 Origenair. All Rights Reserved.
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