With pollution and a fast lifestyle driving health concerns, routine checkups are vital—yet often skipped for being time-consuming. What if it were achieved at home in three minutes? Ankur Jaiswal of Humors Tech shares this process through Respyr, which is fast, simple, and impactful to EFY’s Nitisha Dubey.
Q. What is your product, Respyr, and how does it work?
A. Respyr 1.0 is a handheld, patented, CDSCO-certified Class B in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) device designed for preventive health screening. It analyses breath biomarkers to generate four health scores: sugar, liver, gut, and respiratory. Before testing, the user is asked to input their lifestyle data from the past 24 hours through our application, based on which we generate a nutrition score and an activity score. The user then exhales into the device, and we analyse their breath sample using a machine learning model trained on data from around 4000 participants. The device provides insights based on real-time biomarker readings, helping users understand the impact of their lifestyle on their health. We educate users on how to improve their health with actionable tips and track trends over time. If scores remain in the ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ zone after 15 days of lifestyle changes, the app prompts the user to visit a healthcare professional.
Q. Is the product patented?
A. Yes, we have a granted patent for the device and its design. We have also filed a second patent for our proprietary algorithm. Our device is protected under Indian IP law.
Q. How does Respyr ensure hygiene and calibration?
A. After each use, a vacuum motor activates to expel any remaining breath from the system. Additionally, UV light sterilises. The entire cleaning and calibration process takes about three to four minutes. Our device features dynamic calibration, which adjusts in real-time to temperature and environmental conditions.
Q. How does the device connect and function?
A. Currently, the device connects to a smartphone via a USB-C port. The user opens the Respyr app, enters their lifestyle data, and follows the app’s guided testing instructions. The breath sample is analysed on the cloud, and scores are sent back to the user. We are also working on a wireless version with Bluetooth capability to make the process even more seamless.
Q. Can multiple people use the same device?
A. Yes, a single Respyr device can support multiple users in a consumer setting (based on the subscription model). There is no limit in a business-to-business (B2B) or public health scenario—the application is customised to support thousands of users, depending on the specific use case or agreement with an organisation.
Q. How does Respyr handle data accuracy in active or moving conditions?
A. We advise users to take the test in a fasting state and while stationary to ensure consistency. Since we evaluate biomarkers from breath after controlled exhalation, any physical activity or recent food intake could affect accuracy. We are also exploring solutions for offline data collection, especially for rural deployments with low internet access.
Q. How many units have you sold so far, and who are your target customers?
A. We began sales in December 2024 and have sold approximately 77 units to date. Our main focus is on three markets: occupational health in industries like coal, mining, chemical, cement, steel, construction, and factories; rural public healthcare through government or corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships; and finally, direct-to-consumer and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) sales through health and wellness platforms. Our goal is to make Respyr a household product, similar to weight machines, but for internal health monitoring.
Q. What is the price of the device, and does it include a subscription?
A. The device is priced at ₹15,000 and includes a one-year subscription. After that, users will need to renew the subscription annually for a nominal fee. For rural or mass screening programmes, our model shifts to a per-test pricing system to make the device more affordable and accessible.
Q. What is the manufacturing setup like?
A. We design the entire printed circuit board (PCB) and internal structure in-house, but we outsource PCB fabrication to a third-party vendor in Bengaluru. The enclosure is also manufactured externally in bulk to save costs. All final assembly, calibration, quality checks, testing and packaging happen at our facility in Murgesh Palya, Bengaluru. While most components are sourced domestically, high-quality sensors are currently imported due to the limited availability of advanced sensors within India.
Q. Have you collaborated with any government bodies?
A. Yes, we have received funding from Nidhi Prayas and Startup India Seed Fund. Through our association with the Incubation Centre, IIT Patna, and VenturePark – B.I.A. Incubator, we are in discussions with the Bihar government to launch a pilot project in a village. This pilot will help us demonstrate how Respyr can support public healthcare at the grassroots level.
Q. What were some major challenges in designing Respyr?
A. Designing the device was a multi-year process. Initially, the device was large and impractical, so our first challenge was miniaturisation. Then, since we were working with breath, we had to account for variations in temperature, humidity, and pressure across individuals and environments. Managing cross-contamination between uses was another challenge. We solved this by integrating a vacuum motor and UV sterilisation to clean the device after each use. Lastly, conducting clinical studies and correlating breath markers with blood markers required immense effort and coordination with hospitals like AIIMS Patna and Deoghar, J.S.S. Mysuru and others across India.
Q. What are your revenue sources and expectations?
A. Our revenue comes from device sales and annual subscriptions. In mass screening programmes, we follow a per-test model. Our revenue goal for the next two years is ₹100 million. We are also working on obtaining United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Conformité Européenne (CE) certifications to take Respyr global.
Q. Are you looking for partners or vendors to scale the business?
A. Yes, we are actively seeking partnerships, especially with wellness platforms and B2B2C companies. Our goal is to get Respyr into every household, like a digital thermometer or weighing scale. We are also raising funds to support growth, manufacturing, and future research and development (R&D).
Q. Do you plan to expand the product line?
A. Absolutely. We are currently working on our second product in the fertility space. Using the same breath-based technology, we aim to help couples track ovulation and fertility health non-invasively. This product has great potential, especially in urban areas where fertility issues are rising due to lifestyle-related problems.
Q. How do you plan to support rural and uneducated users?
A. We are bringing respiratory Health insights to villages through trained workers and easy-to-understand reports. We intend to equip government health workers with Respyr. These workers already visit rural areas monthly for health checkups. They can collect breath samples, and the app will interpret the results in simple language for villagers, while also providing clinical interpretations for doctors. This ensures that even users with no medical knowledge can understand and act on their health data. Additionally, this approach helps the government identify hidden health issues early and design targeted policies to improve rural healthcare outcomes.
