A Nepali startup just secured NPR 1 crore for 40% equity on Shark Tank Nepal, and their pitch was pretty compelling – a locally-made air quality monitoring device that costs 90% less than imported alternatives. This article will discuss everything about VayuDrishti’s air monitoring device, including its price in Nepal, specifications, and what makes it different from smartphone apps.
VayuDrishti Air Monitor Overview
The Hyper-Local Pitch
When the sharks asked why anyone would buy a separate device instead of just checking air quality on their phone, the founders had their answer ready. Phone apps, they claimed, only show generalized data for larger areas – but air quality can supposedly vary dramatically even within short distances.
Their argument was that your phone might show the same reading whether you’re near a busy road or in your backyard.
The Device Claims
The device tracks PM2.5, PM10, CO₂, and O₃ levels, plus environmental factors like temperature, humidity, wind speed, and direction. All this data syncs to a dashboard in real-time.
It costs around USD 350, which they say is roughly 90% cheaper than imported monitoring systems. But whether most people actually need this level of hyper-local data monitoring is debatable – especially when basic air quality info is already available for free, and in my opinion, the climate crisis is impending in such an catastrophic way, that we might have even expected, such tech “solution” could probably be washed up in vain if bigger issues are not adressed first.
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Power and Practicality
Anyway, the system supports both solar and grid power, so you can install it basically anywhere. This flexibility should be crucial for Nepal, where power reliability can be an issue in some areas. The team also mentioned they also have an air purifier to complement the monitoring device.
Technical Capabilities
The device covers a wide range of measurements. PM2.5 and PM10 go up to 1000 μg/m³, CO₂ measures up to 5000 ppm, and ozone tracks up to 1000 ppb. Temperature range is massive too – from -40°C to 85°C, which should handle any climate conditions in Nepal.
Wind speed measurement goes up to 60 m/s, and humidity covers the full 0-100% range. All things considered, it’s a comprehensive monitoring solution.
VayuDrishti Monitor Price in Nepal and Availability
The device costs around USD 350 internationally, and in Nepal, it is priced at approximately NPR 20,000. After securing NPR 1 crore funding on Shark Tank Nepal, the startup should be able to scale production and potentially bring costs down further.
