Treepex: Georgian tech innovation hopes to solve air pollution problem

Two young Georgian entrepreneurs have announced the launch of an innovative product Treepex that many believe will be a game-changer in solving the problem of air pollution.

Treepex inventors say this is the first ever device worldwide that transforms polluted air into fresh oxygen and enriches it with minerals.

Behind this innovative idea there are two young Georgian start-uppers, Bacho Khachidze and Lasha Kvantaliani.

"Disappearing forests and increased emissions are the main causes of the evolving air pollution disaster, taking the lives of over 5.5 million people each year. Those living in larger cities are especially affected by air pollution-related diseases”, the inventors said.

"That is why the greenovative startup Treepex - based in one of the most pollution-affected countries globally - decided to take action”.

The Treepex device transforms carbon dioxide into oxygen. It replicates trees’ process of transforming polluted air into fresh, mineral-enriched air. The inventors use CRISPR technology to extract the DNA of actual trees to recreate the living cells that are responsible for photosynthesis and compress them into the device’s cartridge, which emits fresh, clean air for the user.

There is also a mobile application that notifies an owner when the cartridge needs to be replaced or the battery charged.

Bacho Khachidze and Lasha Kvantaliani, Treepex inventors. Photo from www.huffingtonpost.com

"Being a team of young entrepreneurs, we wake up every day and ask ourselves: What does the world need that we can provide? Having grown up in Georgia, I’m unfortunately all too familiar with the problem of pollution. Coming from a relatively small country that is not at the forefront of innovation, I am proud to be contributing a product that will have a major impact on both the Georgian people and so many people worldwide”, Khachidze, one of the inventors, told Huffington Post.

Kvantaliani, another inventor told Digital Journal that he knew he had to take action when he started having troubles breathing during summer in his hometown.

"I also knew it had to be technologically innovative, portable and easy to use, so you can take it anywhere you like, at any time,” he added.

"Breathe your own forest” is the slogan of Treepex and its inventors hope that the device will become an inseparable part of people’s lives. They hope that it will not only help solve the pollution problem, but it will also save millions of lives.