Praan Inc
Revolutionary filterless air purification technology for industrial, commercial spaces
💼 What does it do?
Praan builds advanced filterless air purification systems for industrial and outdoor applications. Their flagship MK-II device creates hyperlocal clean air zones in factories, schools, hospitals, and commercial spaces without requiring filter replacements. They also offer HIVE, an indoor air purifier with medical-grade filtration for homes and offices. Their AI-powered systems automatically adjust performance based on real-time air quality monitoring.
🧑🚀 About the founder(s)
ABOUT THEM
Angad Daryani (Founder & CEO): Child prodigy who attended MIT at 14, graduated from Georgia Tech in electrical engineering.
• Built first robot at 8, 3D printer at 13
• Struggled with asthma in Mumbai, which inspired the mission
• Previously worked on assistive devices for visually impaired
• Passionate about climate solutions and deep tech
THE BACKSTORY
• Started as Angad's college project at Georgia Tech in 2017 after experiencing severe asthma in polluted Mumbai
• Initially bootstrapped from apartment prototypes using paint buckets and duct tape
• Grew from solo project to 250+ volunteers from top tech companies
• Received early $15K unsecured loan from Naresh Shahani
• Pivoted from 20-foot street cylinders to practical industrial solutions after realising infrastructure challenges
📊 Pricing and business model
• B2B sales model targeting industrial clients, schools, and commercial establishments
• Revenue from device sales and ongoing AI-powered monitoring services
• Focus on low-cost, high-volume deployments with near-zero maintenance costs
• Expanding through strategic partnerships and direct enterprise sales
🚀 About this space
THE PROBLEM
• Air pollution kills over 7 million people annually worldwide
• India ranks 5th most polluted country with PM2.5 levels 3.7x WHO limits
• 100M+ blue-collar workers breathe air 50x worse than WHO norms
• Traditional air purifiers require expensive filter replacements and high maintenance
• Limited outdoor air purification solutions for large industrial spaces
THE OPPORTUNITY
• $1.16B Indian air purifier market growing at 28.5% CAGR through 2030
• Global push for industrial air quality compliance
• Massive underserved market of factories and outdoor spaces
• Climate tech gaining investor attention with government policy support
• First-mover advantage in filterless technology space
ℹ️ Growthbuddy insights
INSIGHT #1
The filterless advantage: Praan's patent-pending technology eliminates the recurring cost nightmare of traditional air purifiers. While competitors require expensive filter replacements every few months, Praan's systems use electrical charge dispersion to collect particles in a chamber that users simply empty - a 30-second process. This makes their total cost of ownership dramatically lower.
INSIGHT #2
Industrial-first strategy: Unlike consumer-focused air purifier companies, Praan targets the massive B2B industrial market where air quality compliance is becoming mandatory. Their MK-II systems are designed for harsh factory environments with high purification rates (1300 CFM) and can be deployed as clusters for large area coverage.
INSIGHT #3
Made-in-India manufacturing edge: With 90% local sourcing in Maharashtra and direct supply chain oversight, Praan can control costs, quality, and delivery timelines while maintaining environmental standards. This positions them perfectly for both domestic market dominance and eventual global expansion from a low-cost base.
💛 Their culture
• Mission-first, people-second, products-third philosophy
• Low-hierarchy structure with just 2 nodes: decision makers and problem solvers
• Open innovation culture where best ideas win regardless of seniority
• Full-stack team handling design, engineering, manufacturing, and business development internally
• Strong emphasis on employee growth with bi-weekly development programs
• Team of young, high-energy individuals from diverse global backgrounds
ℹ️ Career intel
GREEN FLAGS
• Strong product-market fit with repeat customers like Dr. Ritesh Malik
• Proven technology validated by partnerships with Apple and Uber
• Stellar team pedigree from Tesla, SpaceX, Microsoft, Apple
• Patent-pending technology creating competitive moats
• Supportive investor ecosystem including Peter Thiel-backed Social Impact Capital
• Growing market demand driven by increasing air quality regulations
POTENTIAL CONCERNS
• Deep tech hardware scaling challenges - manufacturing complexities could slow growth
• Competition from established air purifier companies entering filterless space
• Regulatory hurdles for industrial air quality equipment
• High capital requirements for scaling manufacturing
• Dependence on founder's vision and leadership
• Series A fundraising execution risk in current market
WHY NOW
• Air pollution crisis reaching tipping point globally with increasing regulatory pressure
• Climate tech finally getting serious investor attention and government support
• Praan's technology proven and ready for commercial scaling
• Early-stage opportunity with massive upside potential
• Strong founder with clear vision and execution track record
• Perfect timing as industries prioritise ESG compliance
📝 Interview guidance
• Show deep understanding of climate challenges and passion for environmental impact
• Demonstrate experience with hardware manufacturing, supply chain, or industrial B2B sales
• Ask about their filterless technology development challenges and competitive advantages
• Inquire about manufacturing scale-up plans and Series A fundraising timeline
• Discuss their expansion strategy beyond air purification into broader environmental solutions
⚡️ Fast facts
FUNDING
Total raised approximately $2M since inception
• Latest round: $1.56M seed led by Social Impact Capital
• Planning Series A of $16M (INR 132.6 Cr) for aggressive scaling
INVESTORS
• Social Impact Capital (lead), Better Capital, Paradigm Shift Capital, Avaana Capital, Aera VC
• Notable angels: Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm), Dr. Ritesh Malik (Innov8), Nipun Sahni (Apollo Group), Paula & Ravi Mariwala (Stanford Angels), Kirloskar Family, Dhaval Shroff (Tesla)
THE NUMBERS
• Team members from Tesla, Apple, SpaceX, Microsoft globally
• Patent-pending filterless technology reducing maintenance costs to near-zero
• MK-II purifies 1300 cubic feet per minute
• Products manufactured in Maharashtra with 90% local sourcing
• Targeting 1000 installations in current year
🔎 Overview
WEBSITE
FOUNDING YEAR
2017
INDUSTRY TAGS
Environmental, Deep Tech, Hardware, Artificial Intelligence, B2B
HEADQUARTERS
San Francisco, USA & Mumbai, India
TEAM SIZE
0-50
COMPANY MISSION
Democratising access to clean, healthy air through breakthrough filterless air purification technology to help over 3 billion people breathe cleaner air worldwide