Healthy Air in Homes and Offices Comes in a Device the Size of a Coffee Cup.
Zurich, December 5, 2017 – uHoo, has officially launched today in Switzerland. uHoo monitors the levels of harmful chemicals and toxins present in the air and provides data, alerts, insights, and recommendations via the uHoo mobile app or dashboard, accessible through any smartphone or laptop that’s connected to the internet. The device, as small as a coffee cup, is available for purchase at uHoo’s website and ships directly to Switzerland. uHoo has also partnered with home-grown Swiss brands, Ricola and Swisscom, to use the device in monitoring the quality of indoor air in select Ricola offices and rapidly obtain feedback from homeowners in Switzerland, respectively.
Employee Wellness through Healthy Air
uHoo and Ricola share a common interest in enhancing well-being. While modern offices around the world have become increasingly energy-efficient, they are also becoming more airtight, which hugely affects indoor air. Ricola, a global brand considered as a pioneer in herb cultivation, is investigating the use of herbs and plants to improve indoor air through its radical innovation lab “Ricolab”. Herbs such as rosemary, lavender, and basil have been known to absorb harmful chemicals from the air.
In a pilot project, uHoo sensors are providing Ricola with real-time data on the quality of the air in different work environments. uHoo will support Ricola with the evaluation of the extensive data. “When our outside innovation lab asked us to participate in a project around good air, nature, and well-being we immediately saw a fit to our values and our employee initiatives,” says Raphael Richterich, CMO and member of the executive board at Ricola. We look forward to the insights from uHoo and are delighted to contribute to increased awareness of good indoor air quality in Switzerland.”
Dustin Jefferson Onghanseng, the co-founder of uHoo, is thrilled about the partnership with Ricola: “We are delighted to be partnering with Ricola to raise awareness of the importance of having good indoor air. We spend 90% of our time indoors, most of its time in the workplace, and ensuring that we have a healthy and safe workplace is critical for our health and wellbeing.”
Swiss Public Can Experience uHoo via Swisscom
Swisscom is also integrating uHoo’s indoor air sensor in its Test Lab at LaWerkstadt in Biel to further understand the market demand among the public in Switzerland. uHoo devices installed in LaWerkstadt will provide real-time data from the nine parameters it measures and provides insights to its occupants about the level of indoor air pollutants. Hundreds of customer interactions are expected per week, which will be used to explore the potential of further projects between Swisscom and uHoo.
The public can visit the LaWerkstadt space of Swisscom in Bahnhofstrasse 5, Biel today to experience uHoo and provide feedback. “The partnership with Swisscom allows us to better understand the Swiss market and obtain feedback on what additional features and capabilities Swiss people would want from uHoo,” says Onghanseng. “This would allow uHoo to cater to the needs and wants of the local market more closely.”
From Business School to Conquering Asia and Europe
Founders Dustin Jefferson Onghanseng and Brian Lin created uHoo’s first prototype in the dormitories while doing their MBA in Hong Kong in 2013. In 2014, uHoo was officially founded with the goal of creating a safer and healthier space in the home and the workplace by improving indoor air. uHoo has successfully worked with property developers and indoor air consultants in Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand. More recently, they have also partnered with city governments, property managers, and indoor air consultants in various European cities.
With a good presence in Asia and Europe, uHoo is now in Switzerland. uHoo entered the Swiss market when it was accepted into the Kickstart Accelerator batch of 2017 in Zurich. “Kickstart works with startups around the world who have developed solutions for real-world problems and uHoo is clearly addressing an issue that requires significant attention,” says Ruth Armale, Smart Cities Lead of Kickstart.
Aside from use in workplaces, uHoo is also available for purchase by anybody in Switzerland via its website for CHF 296 (USD 299). uHoo invites any person wanting to create a healthier home and workplace to check out its website at https://getuhoo.com
