Air pollution is an invisible crisis choking our cities and shortening lives — a challenge that demands not just attention, but audacious innovation. Enter Praan, a climate tech startup that’s on a mission to purify the air at scale without filters, water, or waste. At Climate Angels Fund, we invested in Praan because we believe it’s not just a company — it’s a movement toward democratizing clean air for all.
What Praan Does
Founded in 2021, Praan is a deep-tech climate startup that builds filter-less, energy-efficient outdoor and large-space air purification systems. Its flagship product, the MK One, is an intelligent, low-cost air purification unit capable of capturing dangerous airborne particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) at various altitudes — from 10 to 300 feet — without the use of traditional filters.
Unlike existing solutions like smog towers or water-guzzling smog guns, which are expensive, inefficient, and short-lived, Praan’s devices operate without filter replacements, significantly reducing both operating costs and environmental impact. Better yet, the pollutants collected by the device are recycled into sustainable building materials, closing the loop on pollution management.
The company is currently piloting with leading institutions like Oberoi Hotels, Ecole Mondiale, Tata Steel, and has signed MoUs with Aditya Birla Group. It’s also in advanced talks with major commercial real estate players and educational campuses for full-scale deployments.
The Team Behind the Mission
What drew us to Praan, beyond its tech, was its mission-led team. CEO and Founder Angad Daryani, a serial inventor and MIT Media Lab alumnus, has brought together a powerhouse team of engineers, designers, and scientists with experience ranging from building electric cars to developing semiconductors. Their energy is infectious, their grit palpable, they’re not waiting for the world to change. They’re changing it.
Why We Invested
Praan is solving one of the most urgent public health and climate challenges of our time. Here’s what sealed the deal for us:
1. Breakthrough Technology with Market Expansion Potential
Praan’s filter-less ionization tech is a game-changer. It drastically reduces maintenance costs and power consumption while enabling deployments in outdoor and semi-open spaces, where traditional air purifiers just don’t work. This opens up a massive untapped market — think schools, malls, campuses, real estate, and entire urban zones.
2. Insane Cost-Efficiency
The MK One unit is priced at just $1,000 upfront, with virtually zero ongoing operating costs. Compare that to smog towers ($1.8 million) or smog guns ($6,000–24,000 with recurring water costs), and the value proposition is off the charts.
3. Environmental Circularity
Praan’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing and logistics — from renewable-powered production to EV-based logistics and pollutant recycling — is aligned with our philosophy at Climate Angels. This is not just about reducing pollution — it’s about designing a climate-positive business from day one.
4. Mass Deployment Readiness
Even at an early stage, Praan has landed high-impact pilot customers, proving that large institutions are willing to bet on new tech if it delivers real value. The company is laying the groundwork for product-as-a-service models, like monthly leases, which can accelerate adoption without high upfront costs for clients.
5. Mission-Driven Founder with Execution Mojo
Angad and his team are relentlessly focused on impact and scale. This isn’t a “build and exit” operation. It’s a long-haul moonshot with an eye on global air quality transformation. They’ve already raised funds from top-tier climate VCs and mission-aligned angels — a strong validation of both product and people.
Looking Ahead
With urban air pollution expected to worsen and public pressure mounting on governments and businesses alike, the demand for scalable air purification will only grow. Praan is positioned to be the first mover in filter-less outdoor air purification, a category that has been waiting for disruption.
At Climate Angels Fund, we don’t just invest in companies — we back bold ideas that can reshape the future. Praan’s vision of making clean air a basic right — not a luxury — aligns perfectly with our mission to support transformative climate innovations.
This is just the beginning. As Praan scales its deployments and rolls out new products, we’re excited to support them on this journey. Because clean air should be for everyone — and with Praan, that future feels a lot closer.
