Bitfinder

Bitfinder, Inc. designs, manufactures and sells the Awair line of indoor air quality (IAQ) monitors and the accompanying consumer and enterprise software services. Awair devices use sensors to measure environmental factors including temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2), fine dust particles (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with earlier models also incorporating motion and light sensors. Readings are delivered through mobile applications that show real-time air quality, trends over time and suggestions for improving a space.

The current product line comprises Awair Element, a five-factor consumer monitor priced at $299 (£229 / €259), and Awair Omni, a seven-factor device positioned for business use across tenants, employees and students. Alongside hardware, Bitfinder provides a website, mobile apps, an application programming interface, user accounts and enterprise technology solutions and services, all governed by its terms of service. The company frames its offering around four segments — home, education, workplace and retail — and encourages users to check air quality in the buildings they visit, such as schools, offices and shops.

Earlier generations of the product included the original Awair and Awair Glow; Awair+ was described as assessing air quality continuously and allowing users to set target conditions for productivity, allergies or sleep, with notifications and recommendations delivered to smartphones. Bitfinder also worked on turning air-related appliances such as humidifiers and ceiling fans into smart devices powered by the Awair backend.

Founding story

Bitfinder was founded in 2013 by Ronald Ro, chief executive officer, and Kevin Cho, chief technology officer.

Business model

Bitfinder sells air quality monitoring hardware directly to consumers and businesses through its e-commerce site, paired with free mobile applications and, for business customers, subscription-based services. It additionally provides enterprise technology solutions, an API and partner programs.

Revenue comes from sales of Awair hardware (Awair Element listed at $299 / £229 / €259) and from business subscriptions to its IAQ services; the company also stated an intent to create new revenue based on data generated by the Awair product.

Traction

The company's site reports more than 6,000 business subscriptions, more than 85,000 app downloads and 750 million points of air data collected per day; the Awair Home Android app lists over 50,000 downloads on Google Play.

Latest developments

The company continues to sell Awair Element and Awair Omni through its site, which carries a 2025 copyright notice, and maintains its consumer Awair Home mobile app.