Aither Co-Founder Isaura Qinthara Heriswan (center) is exhibiting his innovative product in the form of a biotechnology air purifier at the TENNOVEX 2023 exhibition in Surabaya

ITS Campus, ITS News — High exposure to air pollution in urban areas has a negative impact on human health, especially for the vulnerable. In response to this, students from the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) developed an air purifier based on microalgae biotechnology through a startup called Aither.

Aither Co-Founder Isaura Qinthara Heriswan explained that Aither is a startup company that focuses on converting carbon emissions into high-quality oxygen. “Our mission is to improve respiratory health and reduce the carbon footprint, especially for vulnerable groups such as babies and pregnant women,” she said.

To support its mission, this startup is developing an air purifier product by utilizing microalgae biotechnology, which is able to process air into high-quality oxygen. “Microalgae can absorb carbon 80 times more effectively than terrestrial plants, so the resulting air is healthier,” explained the student, who is familiarly called Qintha.

Apart from that, this bespectacled girl also said that the Aither air purifier product has advantages in terms of size. This product has a diameter of 22 centimeters and a height of 40 centimeters, making it practical and easy to carry anywhere. Not only that, this product is also supported by low electrical power, namely 25 watts. “Using this product not only saves space but also uses electrical power,” said the alumnus of SMAN 11 Bandung.

Furthermore, Qintha said that the product, which is still in the design stage, is targeted to be completed by the middle of this year. So it is hoped that it will be launched soon, in October 2024. “Currently, we are also trying to collaborate with a wider range of partners,” she said.

A view of the biotechnology air purifier, the idea of the startup either by ITS students

In developing its products, according to Qintha, Aither has collaborated with several partners, such as Nutrihub Surabaya, ITS Incubator, ITS Business Management Department, and ITS Biology Department. Not only that, Aither has also received funding of IDR 50 million through the Sevenprenur Business Blueprint Program.

Apart from being a business field, Aither has also received awards in various prestigious competitions. Among them are 1st place in the Shell LiveWIRE Social Media Competition, 2nd place in the Youth Economic Leadership Program (YELP) by Bank Indonesia, and being an Indonesian delegate to the Global Startup Festival ComeUp 2023.

The student from the ITS Information Systems Department also revealed that his journey in starting the Aither startup was not easy. His team faced obstacles in terms of limited time and resources. “We have to adjust our time to suit our respective activities as students,” said the Main Director of the ITS Technopreneurship Development Center (TDC) Student Activity Unit (UKM).

Lastly, this girl from Bandung also hopes that Aither products will develop more rapidly, both in terms of team, product, and market. With this expansion, it is hoped that Aither can have a positive impact on the community and the surrounding environment. (ITS Public Relation)

Reporter: Hani Aqilah Safitri