Milton Keynes company gets government aid to help purify air for hay fever sufferers

A Milton Keynes company that has used NASA technology to invent the world’s first filter-free air purifier has received more than £95,000 from the government.

Air for Life, based at Wolverton Mill, says its invention will help millions of people who suffer from allergies such as hay fever and asthma every year, and could reduce their reliance on medication like antihistamines.

The money came in R&D tax relief from the government and will be used to create a portable version of the machine, which is unlike anything else in the marketplace.

Air For Life’s Sanifiers destroy impurities in the air and on surfaces rather than trapping them in filters that have to be changed every three to six months.

One of the company’s proprietary technologies called AFL PCO uses a fan to draw the air past an ultraviolet lamp that eliminates contaminants. The UV light also reacts with a nano metal catalyst that releases human-friendly negative ions that break down bacteria and viruses in the room.

The negative ions remove allergen-causing substances like dust, pollen, pet dander, and PM2.5 pollution particles from the air.

Air For Life founder and CEO Jay Vitale developed the technology behind the Sanifier while researching a NASA process that removes the ethylene gas produced by fresh fruit and vegetables.

He said the £95K, which came with the help of innovation funding specialist Catax, would help his company continue with its research and development, and allow them to create new products that help people breathe more easily.

“It was only when we were introduced to Catax that we felt confident we would get the claim we deserved based on our high R&D spending. Everyone at Catax was a dream to work with, and I’m really grateful that they helped us receive such a significant sum.”

HMRC’s R&D tax relief scheme allows innovative companies that are seeking a technological or scientific advancement within their industry to claim a corporation tax reduction or refund for their qualifying R&D activity.

Kully Nijjar, Associate Director at Catax (a Ryan company), said: “Air For Life is building on research that originated with NASA to create its state-of-the-art products, so it’s hard to imagine a company that is more deserving of R&D tax relief.”