What DNAir does

DNAir is a Swiss environmental technology company headquartered in Dübendorf, Switzerland, that has developed proprietary technology to capture and analyze environmental DNA (eDNA) from the air. The company positions itself as the first to build technology dedicated exclusively to capturing airborne genetic fragments left by plants, fungi, animals, insects, and microbes, converting these invisible biological signals into actionable biodiversity intelligence. The core technical asset is a proprietary line of automated air eDNA sensors engineered to operate across diverse environments, with the underlying capability grounded in molecular science, biological diversity, and engineering expertise drawn in part from a research collaboration with ETH Zurich.

The commercial offering is structured as a three-tier service funnel: a Feasibility Study (consulting engagement that evaluates fit for a client's specific biodiversity management, plant protection, or public health need), a Pilot (limited-period sensor deployment to demonstrate data comprehensiveness and sensitivity), and Full Deployment (continuous sensor deployment with regular bio-data and analytics delivery). On top of the service funnel, the company markets six application verticals: Biodiversity Management, Invasive Species Management, Plant Protection, Environmental Impact Assessment & Compliance, Biosecurity, and Public Health. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagement is quote-based, initiated through structured website inquiry forms.

DNAir sells directly to enterprise customers through consultative field sales, targeting nature conservation NGOs, utilities companies, land-use sector operators (forestry and agriculture), renewable energy and construction firms, government and border security agencies, and public health organizations. The company is privately held, with no public ticker, and is backed by the Migros Pioneer Fund, ETH Zurich, Venture Kick, BIC Switzerland, Google for Startups, and Innovate UK. No revenue, headcount, or funding round size is disclosed.

Name

DNAir

Legal name

DNAir

Website

https://dnair.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DNAir is a Swiss environmental technology company that operates proprietary airborne environmental DNA capture sensors and sells a three-tier service (Feasibility Study, Pilot, Full Deployment) to conservation NGOs, utilities, agriculture and forestry operators, construction, government biosecurity agencies, and public health organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental DNA Monitoring Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental DNA (eDNA) & Advanced Biodiversity Methods (Bioacoustics, Camera Traps) (EUAHAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

Keywords

• Airborne eDNA monitoring
• Biodiversity intelligence
• Environmental DNA analysis
• Invasive species detection
• Biosecurity monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubendorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Feasibility Study Services: Consulting service evaluating whether air eDNA technology is suitable for specific client needs across biodiversity management, plant protection, or public health applications. This serves as an entry point for customer acquisition.
2. Pilot Deployment Services: Limited-period sensor deployment at client sites, providing firsthand experience with eDNA data comprehensiveness and sensitivity. Demonstrates technology potential to drive full adoption.
3. Full Deployment Monitoring: Continuous sensor deployment with regular bio-data delivery and analytics, enabling data-driven decisions for long-term success. Likely structured as recurring subscription or managed services contract for ongoing data collection and analysis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DNAir develops and deploys proprietary technology that captures environmental DNA (eDNA) from the air using automated sensors, then transforms the captured genetic fragments into biodiversity intelligence. The company sells its technology through a structured three-tier service engagement: Feasibility Study (needs assessment), Pilot (limited sensor deployment), and Full Deployment (continuous monitoring with recurring bio-data analytics). These services are applied across biodiversity management, invasive species detection, plant protection, environmental impact assessment, biosecurity, and public health use cases for organizations in conservation, utilities, agriculture, forestry, construction, and government.

Product overview

DNAir offers a service-based portfolio centered on proprietary air eDNA (environmental DNA) capture technology. The offering consists of three service tiers (Feasibility Study, Pilot, and Full Deployment) that progressively scale sensor deployment and data provision, alongside multiple application verticals covering Biodiversity Management, Invasive Species Management, Plant Protection, Environmental Impact Assessment & Compliance, Biosecurity, and Public Health. The core enabler is the company's proprietary automated air eDNA sensor hardware, which captures genetic fragments from plants, fungi, animals, insects, and microbes suspended in the air to transform invisible biological signals into actionable intelligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Feasibility Study An evaluation service that assesses whether air eDNA technology is suitable for the client's specific needs across biodiversity management, plant protection, or public health applications. This is the entry point in DNAir's three-tier engagement pathway.
• Pilot A limited-period sensor deployment service that allows clients to experience firsthand the comprehensiveness and sensitivity of eDNA data collection at their site, demonstrating technology potential before Full Deployment.
• Full Deployment A comprehensive service deploying a full suite of DNAir's proprietary sensors at the client's site for continuous data collection, delivering regular bio-data and analytics that enable long-term data-driven decisions for biodiversity intelligence.
• Biodiversity Management Application Vertical application of air eDNA monitoring that enables assessment of diversity across all major plant and animal species groups and tracks biodiversity trends over time, providing actionable insights for effective biodiversity management. Targeted at nature conservation NGOs, utilities, and organizations that value biodiversity.
• Invasive Species Management Application Vertical application of air eDNA monitoring that detects when and where invasive species enter a site and tracks how they spread, enabling more effective prevention, control, and containment measures. Early detection through eDNA monitoring can significantly reduce management costs and ecological damage.
• Plant Protection Application Vertical application that tracks pests and pollinators to optimize land use for both production and biodiversity across forestry, agriculture, and other land-use sectors, providing early warnings about emerging threats while leveraging beneficial species to enhance ecosystem resilience.
• Environmental Impact Assessment & Compliance Application Vertical application that detects elusive, rare, and threatened species early in the environmental assessment process to prevent project delays, additional costs, and environmental fines. Minimizes impacts on wildlife and ecosystems during renewable energy siting, construction projects, and mining operations.
• Biosecurity Application Vertical application that detects invasive organisms at critical entry points such as airports, ports, and railways, aiding in the control and containment of harmful species for biosecurity purposes.
• Public Health Application Vertical application that tracks airborne pathogens, allergens, and disease carriers to inform disease prevention strategies, health advisory systems, and resilient urban planning.
• Air eDNA Sensors Proprietary automated sensors engineered to efficiently capture and process vast amounts of high-quality bio-data from the air across diverse environments, delivering scalable and actionable biodiversity insights. Deployed across DNAir's three service tiers to capture genetic fragments left behind by plants, fungi, animals, insects, and microbes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Early detection of invasive species through eDNA monitoring can significantly reduce management costs and ecological damage

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETH Zurich appears among DNAir's backers. As one of Europe's leading technical universities, ETH Zurich likely provides research collaboration, talent access, and scientific credibility. The company's science-first approach and technology development is closely aligned with academic research capabilities from this institution.
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with ETH Zurich for research and development support. The company highlights a science-first approach grounded in cutting-edge scientific research with deep expertise in molecular science, biological diversity, and engineering, suggesting strong research collaboration with ETH.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NatureMetrics: UK-based environmental DNA company providing biodiversity monitoring services primarily through water and soil eDNA sampling. Most direct competitor in the eDNA-based biodiversity intelligence space, with NatureMetrics leading in water-based offerings and DNAir differentiating via airborne capture.
• Spygen: French eDNA specialist offering aquatic biodiversity monitoring and species detection services for environmental and regulatory applications. Closely comparable in business model and scientific methodology, also serving conservation, utilities, and government markets.
• Conservation Metrics: US-based provider of aerial wildlife monitoring using drones and computer vision, serving renewable energy and conservation customers. Competitor in the environmental impact assessment and biodiversity monitoring value chain, especially for renewables and construction clients.

Emerging players

• eDNAtec: New Zealand-based eDNA solutions provider focused on aquatic biodiversity and biosecurity. Comparable in leveraging eDNA for biodiversity and invasive species detection, though specializing in water-based sampling.
• Vortex IoT: Environmental IoT sensor company providing hardware-based monitoring solutions for environmental applications. Comparable in the deployment of automated sensor hardware for environmental intelligence, though with different sensing modalities.
• Wilder Sensing: UK-based wildlife monitoring technology company deploying sensors and AI for biodiversity data collection. Comparable in deploying automated sensor hardware for biodiversity monitoring, though with broader sensor modalities beyond eDNA.

Others

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global conservation organization with extensive biodiversity monitoring programs. Potential major customer for biodiversity management applications, though also operates its own monitoring technology initiatives that could compete.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): Large UK conservation organization conducting extensive biodiversity monitoring. Potential customer rather than competitor, but their established monitoring programs represent a significant addressable market for DNAir's biodiversity management application.

Broad incumbents

• Naturalis Biodiversity Center: Major Dutch research institution conducting biodiversity monitoring and eDNA research. Operates more broadly in biodiversity science with significant research capabilities, representing a potential collaborator or competitor in the eDNA method space.
• NatureServe: US-based nonprofit providing biodiversity data and conservation science services. Complementary rather than directly competitive; established presence in biodiversity intelligence could make NatureServe a partner or channel for DNAir's technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dnair-biodiversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 DNAir