Proyecto Respira

What Proyecto Respira does

Proyecto Respira is a citizen-science air-quality platform headquartered in Asunción, Paraguay, founded in 2023 and delivered by a nine-person cross-functional team (Product Owner, Tech Lead, Full-Stack Developer, DevOps, QA, Project Manager, Software Architect, Frontend Developer, Product Designer). It provides real-time Air Quality Index data and short-horizon forecasts (6-hour and 12-hour windows) for the Asunción metropolitan area via a free mobile application on iOS and Android, an interactive web map at proyectorespira.net, and alert channels on Telegram and X (Twitter) at @respirapy. The platform's forecasting layer is built on machine learning time-series models trained against a continuous dataset collected since 2019 by ten fixed monitoring stations operated by the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA); the underlying research was peer-published at CLEI 2023.

Underlying technology is open-source by design: open hardware and software sensors, open data access for research, and a public GitHub repository for community contributions. A participation program invites institutions, community spaces, NGOs, and individuals to host additional sensors, extending the network beyond FIUNA's fixed footprint. The project is structured as a multi-stakeholder collaboration rather than a traditional commercial entity, with FIUNA providing scientific infrastructure, CONACYT providing grant funding for the sensor network, Mozilla Foundation and Girls Who Code Paraguay as collaborating organizations, and MADES (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development) as an aligned government partner.

Proyecto Respira has no disclosed commercial revenue model and provides its service free to the public; the only documented funding streams are a CONACYT grant for the FIUNA network and a recently recorded Mozilla Foundation transaction. Customer segments are non-paying: general citizens using the app and alerts, and institutional/host-participant entities that join the sensor network. Distribution is entirely self-serve via app stores, web, and messaging channels, with no sales motion or pricing structure.

Name

Proyecto Respira

Legal name

Proyecto Respira

Website

https://proyectorespira.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Proyecto Respira is a free, open-source citizen-science air-quality monitoring platform serving the Asunción metropolitan area in Paraguay, delivering real-time Air Quality Index data and 6- and 12-hour machine-learning forecasts via mobile apps, a web map, and Telegram/X alerts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Quality Monitoring Software

NAICS

Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (Criteria Pollutants & Air Toxics) (EUAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Air Quality Modeling & Dispersion Analytics (AERMOD/CALPUFF, Exposure Surfaces) (EUAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Air quality monitoring
• Citizen science network
• Environmental data analytics
• Air quality forecasting
• Open source sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Asunción

HQ country

Paraguay

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Project funded by CONACYT (National Council for Science and Technology of Paraguay) through the Air Quality Monitoring Network project at FIUNA. No commercial revenue model appears to be in place.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Proyecto Respira provides a free citizen-science air quality monitoring platform for Asunción, Paraguay, delivering real-time and forecasted Air Quality Index (AQI) data through a mobile app (iOS and Android), an interactive web map, and alerts via Telegram and X (Twitter). The platform integrates data from 10 monitoring stations operated by FIUNA since 2019, using machine-learning-based time series forecasting to predict AQI for the next 6 and 12 hours, and invites institutions, community spaces, and individuals to host additional open-source sensors.

Product overview

Proyecto Respira is a citizen science air quality monitoring platform that provides real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) data and forecasts for Asunción and its metropolitan area in Paraguay. The platform consists of a mobile app (available on iOS and Android), an interactive web-based map (Map), and a community sensor network (Respira sensor network) that invites institutions, organizations, and individuals to contribute open air quality data. The service integrates data from the Air Quality Monitoring Network of the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA), which has collected Particulate Matter (PM) and climate parameter measurements since 2019. Users receive air quality alerts via Telegram and X (Twitter), with recommendations categorized by AQI levels (Good to Hazardous). The platform operates on open-source principles with a GitHub repository and contributes to published academic research on air quality in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proyecto Respira Mobile App A mobile application for iOS and Android that allows Asunción-area residents to check current air quality, view the AQI instantly via a home-screen widget without opening the app, and receive real-time air quality alerts.
• Respira Map Interactive web-based map displaying real-time and forecasted air quality data for Asunción and its metropolitan area, available at proyectorespira.net.
• Telegram Alerts Service An automated alert channel on Telegram where users join a group to receive real-time air quality notifications when AQI levels change.
• X (Twitter) Alerts Service An air quality updates and alerts channel distributed through the @respirapy X (Twitter) account for followers.
• Respira Sensor Network Participation Program A citizen-science participation program that invites institutions, organizations, community spaces, NGOs, and individuals to host air quality sensors and contribute open data to the monitoring network covering schools, homes, community spaces, and NGOs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 monitoring stations deployed and operational in metropolitan area
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIUNA provides the foundational Air Quality Monitoring Network with 10 monitoring stations collecting PM and climate data since 2019. This network feeds Proyecto Respira's forecasting data and has been used for high-impact research on air quality in the region. FIUNA is a core technical partner providing scientific infrastructure.
• MozillaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMozilla is listed as a collaborator/organization supporting Proyecto Respira, contributing to the open-source and citizen science ethos of the project.
• Girls Who Code ParaguayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGirls Who Code Paraguay is listed as a collaborating organization, supporting diversity and inclusion in the project's technical team and mission.
• MADES (Ministerio del Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMADES (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development) is listed as a collaborating organization, indicating government environmental agency alignment with the project's mission.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OpenAQ: Open-source, open-data platform aggregating global air quality data from government and research sources. Direct peer in open-data civic-tech approach to air quality transparency.
• Plume Labs: Air quality forecasting platform (acquired by AccuWeather) offering 72-hour pollution forecasts and mapping. Comparable in forecasting focus, with broader geographic reach.
• PurpleAir: Crowdsourced air quality monitoring network built on low-cost community sensors with a public map. Closest direct peer in citizen-science/community-sensor model and open-data ethos.
• BreezoMeter: Provides air quality data, forecasts, and APIs for businesses and governments worldwide. Direct peer in ambient AQI forecasting, but commercial/enterprise oriented rather than community-led.

Emerging players

• AirGradient: Affordable open-source air quality monitors designed for community and educational deployments. Comparable in open-hardware PM monitoring philosophy.
• Clarity Movement: Air quality sensor network provider focused on regulatory and development-sector deployments in emerging markets. Comparable in deploying monitoring networks in under-instrumented geographies.
• Sensor.Community: Global citizen science network of low-cost air quality sensors with open data and DIY hardware. Comparable community-led, open-hardware ethos but global rather than local.

Broad incumbents

• IQAir: Global commercial leader in consumer and regulatory-grade air quality monitors and a real-time AQI map. Closest comparable in product (ambient air quality data + forecast) but operates at global scale with commercial hardware and enterprise contracts.
• AirNow (US EPA): Government-run real-time air quality reporting and forecasting platform for the United States. Comparable as a public-sector air quality data and AQI forecast platform, though far larger in scope.

Others

• Temboo (now part of Meazurement): Environmental data and citizen-science enablement platform. Comparable as an enabling/adjacent technology provider in the open environmental data ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/respirapy
• GitHubgithub.com/ProyectoRespira
• Facebookfacebook.com/proyectorespirapy
• Instagraminstagram.com/proyectorespirapy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Proyecto Respira