INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT: Airission
The filter-free mission to supply the world with clean air
Let’s meet the founders of the future
In this instalment of Innovation Spotlight we meet Tommy Myrvang, the founder of Airission working to make clean air sustainable and accessible to all. For decades, air filtration has relied on filter systems that require frequent maintenance and filter changes. For Tommy, that approach was not good enough. Now, Airission has developed a revolutionary system free of disposable parts and regular replacements, significantly reducing the environmental footprint compared to traditional ventilation systems.
Tommy Myrvang has a background in mechanical engineering and decades of experience as an intrapreneur and an entrepreneur. In past ventures, he worked to solve the problem of filtering wet particles from the air.
“I worked in a company that developed smarter ventilation,” he explains. “Back then we worked with wet particles like oil or water droplets. It worked great. That’s when I realised how dirty and inefficient current conventional filter systems are. They’re expensive to run, expensive to maintain, and they still deliver poor air quality.”
He started digging deeper into the problem, and a clear pattern emerged: air filters clogged easily, required frequent replacements, and often became sources of contamination themselves. “I thought, there has to be a better way.” After dedicating evenings and weekends to solve the problem of filtering dry particles from the air without clogging up filters, the solution he came up with eventually became the foundation for Airission.
Rather than pushing air through a filter, Airission’s technology separates particles from the air using centrifugal force. “We clean the air by making it rotate, creating high g-forces enhancing density difference between particle and air,” Tommy explains. “That motion efficiently removes particles eliminating the need for filters and filter changes.”
“This isn’t about improving filters, it’s about replacing them completely.”
TOMMY MYRVANG
The concept may sound simple, but the underlying engineering is complex. Tommy worked for years to develop a system that could work efficiently at small scale, be compact enough for installation in everyday spaces, but powerful enough to match or exceed the performance of traditional systems. “This isn’t about improving filters,” he states. “It’s about replacing them completely.”
One of the key principles behind Airission’s approach is that it must be easy to install and use. “You shouldn’t have to be an expert to improve your air quality,” says Tommy. “It should just work.” Airission’s system is designed to be self-cleaning, maintenance-free, and plug-and-play. That is important for making the technology accessible in offices, homes, and other environments where existing systems are hard to upgrade. Their first product size, the PFT1000, is ready and Tommy's team is currently focusing on scaling up the commercial operations and in parallel developing complementary sizes and demonstrating new applications.
Even though their air filtration system is making its debut in industrial spaces, the driving force behind Tommy’s work has been rooted in improving the quality of life and decreasing health complications for more people. “It’s a dream of mine, that’s probably not just a dream anymore - it will become reality. When you look at apartment complexes in South East Asia, everyone has an AC unit with filters - but they don’t provide clean air. We can provide the same service, but the indoor air quality will even be close to medical grade, and we aim to truly democratise access to clean air.”
As an avid traveller, the global perspective has been there from the beginning of the journey, as he has seen firsthand the impact that poor air quality and pollution have on people’s health. According to WHO, 3.2 million people die prematurely every year as a result of indoor air pollution, and it is also linked to premature births and low birth weights. Making clean air more widely accessible would improve the quality of life of those who are the most vulnerable in society.
Even though the goal has been clear from the beginning, Airission’s journey has not been simple and straightforward. The air filtration industry is traditional, and they have had to work hard to prove that their technology works and that their reference installations are as effective as they promise. Another challenge they faced was protecting their technology, which is why Tommy turned to Lightbringer to help file his first patent. Having previously worked with patent engineers on other projects, he wanted to reduce the time spent explaining his invention to other people, and to use his time efficiently. The platform made it easier to structure and document the invention process, so he could focus on product development while protecting the core idea behind Airission.
“It was clear what to do and what to think about. It saved me time and made the process much easier – especially knowing that everything is quality-checked by both a human and AI.”
TOMMY MYRVANG
“Lightbringer gave me a good overview, helped me structure everything I needed and it was so easy to use,” he states. “It was clear what to do and what to think about. It saved me time and made the process much easier – especially knowing that everything is quality-checked by both a human and AI.”
For early-stage founders like Tommy, patenting can feel like an overwhelming hurdle, especially when juggling R&D, product design, and business development. Lightbringer helped reduce that load by guiding him through the process step by step. “Without Lightbringer, I would’ve waited much longer,” Tommy says “It gave me the structure, cost transparency and confidence to move forward earlier.”
While the pace of startup life is often fast, Tommy is intentional about doing things properly. He is currently building out the core team, developing a go-to-market strategy, and talking to partners who understand both the technical and commercial side of the problem. “The system needs to be solid,” he says. “This is HW infrastructure. You can’t launch early and hope it’ll be fine later.” When asked what comes next, Tommy says the goal is to open up their first markets, specifically fast food chains, and set up demos in order to scale the technology into new segments.
“I’m not in love with the product, I’m in love with the problem. That’s what keeps me going.”
TOMMY MYRVANG
Tommy is calm, methodical, and clear-eyed about the path ahead. “I’m not in love with the product,” he says. “I’m in love with the problem. That’s what keeps me going.” For him, Airission is not just a hardware company, but a system-level rethink of how we clean the air we breathe. And while that ambition might take time to realise, Tommy is patient. “Some things are worth doing slowly,” he comments. “Especially when the outcome affects people’s health every single day.”
Breathing clean air should not come at the cost of waste, complexity, or compromise. That is the belief driving Airission, and the reason we are so excited about what Tommy and his team are building. At Lightbringer, we are proud to support founders tackling foundational problems, and we will be following Airission’s journey as they continue working to turn the dream of accessible clean air into reality.
