AirGuard

What AirGuard does

AirGuard is a Greenville, South Carolina-based hardware startup that sells AI-powered mold detection and prediction devices for residential indoor environments. Founded in 2024 and commercially launched in 2025 by Chris Davidson and Ben Lagrange—engineers who also run Blue Ridge Heating & Air—the company's flagship product is a plug-in, Wi-Fi-connected device that pairs temperature and humidity sensing with a dedicated microbial volatile organic compound (mVOC) gas sensor. Sensor data feeds a proprietary implementation of the Menneer-adapted VTT Finland dynamic mold-growth model to produce a real-time Time-to-Growth forecast (Safe >90 days / Warning 30–90 days / Critical <30 days), and a separate AI classification model trained on lab-verified samples identifies Penicillium/Aspergillus and Cladosporium at an independently validated ~75% accuracy. The device pairs with a Blynk-powered iOS/Android app for live readings, historical trends, alerts, and weekly environmental health reports.

The company's primary revenue stream is direct-to-consumer hardware sales at $1,199 per single device with 10% and 20% volume discounts on 3- and 5-pack bundles, sold through a Stripe-powered storefront with U.S.-only shipping. A $14.99/month optional app subscription supplements hardware, while basic app access is included free with device purchase. AirGuard also operates a three-tier channel program—Free National Directory of HVAC/IEP contractors, Authorized Affiliate referrals, and an Authorized Contractor program with wholesale pricing and Monitoring-as-a-Service deployment rights—plus a Professional Command Center for contractor remote diagnostics. Primary customers are U.S. residential homeowners with mold-prone conditions (crawlspaces, basements, HVAC ductwork), with secondary segments including HVAC contractors, landlords, property managers, mold-sensitive households, and—via the GrainGuard sub-brand—agricultural grain storage operators.

AirGuard is a very early-stage company. It operates with two co-founders, a three-person advisory board, no disclosed full-time employees beyond the founders, and only one external capital event on record—a $600,000 investment from Cultivating Innovation in SC Agribusiness dated April 2, 2026. The AirGuard device itself is patent-pending, with the underlying AI model and proprietary algorithm protected as trade secrets. Given the narrow geographic footprint (U.S.-only), premium price point, small workforce, and no disclosed revenue, AirGuard is best characterized as an early-revenue hardware startup whose commercial scale, distribution velocity, and category leadership remain unproven despite strong technical differentiation.

Name

AirGuard

Legal name

AirGuard, LLC

Website

https://airguard.pro

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AirGuard is a Greenville, SC-based hardware startup selling AI-powered mold detection devices that combine a dedicated mVOC gas sensor with a Menneer-adapted VTT physics-based Time-to-Growth forecast model, sold direct-to-consumer and through HVAC contractor channels across the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Devices

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

Humidity, Mold & Indoor Moisture Monitoring Systems (HSAHAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Environmental Monitoring (VOC/CO2/PM2.5) (HSAHAGAG)

Keywords

• Indoor air quality monitoring
• Mold detection devices
• Smart home sensors
• IoT environmental monitoring
• Mold risk prediction

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware device sales: One-time purchase of the AirGuard hardware device (and GrainGuard hardware for agricultural customers) via the company's direct-to-consumer Stripe checkout. Sold in 1/3/5-pack bundles with volume discounts (10% off 3-pack, 20% off 5-pack); bulk/B2B custom pricing available.
2. App subscription (premium tier): Optional monthly app subscription at $14.99/month billed monthly; non-refundable once a billing cycle starts. Basic app access is included free with device purchase.
3. Authorized Affiliate program commissions: Commission-based referral revenue through the Authorized Affiliate Program targeting influencers, industry experts, and partner businesses. Each affiliate gets a unique coupon code; AirGuard handles billing, shipping, and fulfillment.
4. Contractor / Pro program wholesale & monitoring-as-a-service enablement: Wholesale/contractor pricing for HVAC professionals, landlords, and property managers who deploy AirGuard units in client homes or as a recurring rental/monitoring service. Enables a "Monitoring-as-a-Service" revenue stream for partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AirGuard sells a plug-in, Wi-Fi-connected hardware device that combines precision temperature, humidity, and microbial volatile organic compound (mVOC) gas sensors with proprietary AI to predict and classify indoor mold growth in residential homes. It ships in 1-, 3-, and 5-pack bundles, pairs with a Blynk-powered mobile app for real-time alerts and weekly environmental reports, and is supported by an optional app subscription. The company also operates GrainGuard, an IoT grain-spoilage monitoring extension of the same mVOC detection platform for agricultural customers.

Product overview

AirGuard offers a single integrated platform that pairs proprietary AI with precision environmental sensors, delivered through three tightly linked offerings: the consumer AirGuard Device (hardware) and its Blynk-powered AirGuard Mobile App for residential mold prediction and detection; the GrainGuard sub-brand, which extends the same IoT-and-mVOC platform into industrial post-harvest grain storage; and the AirGuard Professional Command Center, a B2B/contractor add-on that aggregates deployed devices for remote diagnostics, monitoring-as-a-service, and post-remediation validation. An optional app subscription ($14.99/month) complements the hardware, which is sold in 1-, 3-, and 5-pack bundles and ships with full, unlimited app access at no additional cost.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GrainGuard: IoT-powered real-time grain storage monitoring and predictive analytics platform for the agricultural sector. Detects mVOC gas signatures to forecast spoilage, monitors grain at multiple depths, and integrates with existing grain monitoring software and automated drying systems.

Products and services

• AirGuard Device Plug-in smart mold detection monitor that combines precision sensors (temperature, humidity, mVOC gas detection) with proprietary AI to predict and classify mold presence in residential HVAC systems, crawlspaces, basements, and living areas. Sold in 1-, 3-, and 5-pack bundles (1-pack $1,199 + U.S. shipping) and ships with full, unlimited app access — no subscription required for core use.
• GrainGuard Industrial-grade, IoT-powered extension of the AirGuard platform aimed at post-harvest grain storage. Uses rugged sensors to monitor grain health at multiple depths, detect mVOC spoilage signatures, and deliver proactive, predictive alerts via a unified desktop/tablet/mobile dashboard that scales from a single bin to multi-site operations.
• AirGuard Professional Command Center Contractor- and property-manager-facing dashboard layer that aggregates multiple deployed AirGuard devices for remote diagnostics, "Red Flag" predictive lead-generation, monitoring-as-a-service billing, and post-remediation validation reports. Pairs with the AirGuard Authorized Contractor, Directory, and Affiliate partner programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~75% independently validated detection accuracy for two major mold types
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Blue Ridge Heating & AirflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Ridge Heating & Air is described on the AirGuard site as the "trusted partner" for HVAC questions and is the source of the founders' field experience. Co-founded by the same individuals (Chris Davidson and Ben Lagrange) in 2019; AirGuard's mold-detection technology was directly informed by recurring mold issues Blue Ridge encountered in customer homes. The partnership gives AirGuard a built-in HVAC channel, customer referrals, and a feedback loop from real remediation work.
• Blynk (Blynk IoT platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationBlynk is the IoT application platform that powers the AirGuard mobile app experience. The AirGuard device connects via Wi-Fi and is set up by scanning a QR code and following the Blynk IoT app prompts. The app displays real-time temperature, humidity, days-to-mold-growth, mold probability, alerts, and historical trend reports — making Blynk core infrastructure for the customer-facing experience on iOS and Android.
• Authorized Affiliate network (influencers, industry experts, partner businesses)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate Program offers competitive commission on every AirGuard device sold via a unique coupon code, with zero inventory or overhead for the affiliate. AirGuard supplies co-branded leave-behind sheets, social media content, and email templates; affiliates are onboarded through a dedicated onboarding flow. Channel is a major go-to-market lever alongside direct e-commerce.
• Authorized Contractor network (HVAC pros, IEPs, landlords, property managers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContractor Program offers professional-tier pricing, rental-ready deployment for recurring revenue, multi-project hardware reuse, and a Professional Command Center for remote diagnostics and predictive lead-gen. Contractors can resell AirGuard as a one-time IAQ testing engagement or as a subscription-based Monitoring-as-a-Service, plus upsell remediation, ventilation, and moisture-control work.
• National Directory Partners (local HVAC/IEP contractors)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFree listing program that surfaces local HVAC and indoor environmental professionals to AirGuard homeowners at the moment an alert is raised. No lead fees, commissions, or subscription costs; partners benefit from localized search traffic and AirGuard's digital footprint. Functions as a high-leverage GTM channel for converting AirGuard alerts into remediation services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IQAir: Global air quality measurement and purification company with consumer air quality monitors (AirVisual Pro, AirVisual Outdoor) and a hyperlocal air-quality data network. Comparable as a premium IAQ brand spanning consumer monitors and professional-grade measurement, competing for the same health-conscious residential buyer.
• Netatmo: Established smart home brand (owned by Legrand) offering a Healthy Home Coach and Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitor that track humidity, temperature, CO2, and noise. Comparable as a broader consumer smart-home IAQ player; lacks AirGuard's species-level mold detection but has stronger retail distribution and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• OPI Systems: Provider of grain storage monitoring and management solutions including cable-based temperature/moisture sensing and cloud dashboards for grain operators. Comparable to GrainGuard as an established agricultural IoT player in post-harvest grain spoilage and condition monitoring that AirGuard is targeting.
• BinMaster: Industrial grain/bin level and environmental monitoring provider serving agricultural operators with IoT sensors for grain storage. Most directly comparable to AirGuard's GrainGuard sub-brand as a B2B agricultural IoT monitoring solution in the post-harvest grain segment.
• uHoo: Smart indoor air quality monitor with nine sensors covering temperature, humidity, CO2, VOC, PM2.5, and more, plus a health/IAQ scoring app. Comparable to AirGuard as a Wi-Fi-connected consumer IAQ device with a premium pricing model and a focus on proactive environmental health monitoring.
• SensorPush: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth temperature and humidity sensors widely used by homeowners, property managers, and HVAC professionals for environmental monitoring. Comparable to AirGuard as a connected humidity/environmental sensor sold to both consumers and pro channels, though without AirGuard's AI mold-classification layer.
• Airthings: Consumer indoor air quality monitor company offering smart devices that track radon, CO2, humidity, temperature, and VOCs in residential settings. Most directly comparable to AirGuard as a connected consumer IAQ hardware company targeting the same homeowner buyer with Wi-Fi-connected sensors and a subscription/mobile-app overlay.
• Awair: Consumer and prosumer indoor air quality monitor with multi-sensor tracking (chemicals, CO2, humidity, temperature, dust) and a health-focused app. Directly comparable to AirGuard as a connected consumer IAQ hardware device competing for the same mold/IAQ-conscious homeowner wallet share.

Emerging players

• Flair: Smart vents and room-level HVAC automation system that uses sensors and AI to optimize home comfort and air distribution. Comparable to AirGuard as a connected home HVAC-focused device targeting the same mold/IAQ-conscious homeowner, with overlap through the Blue Ridge Heating & Air / HVAC contractor channel.
• Tempo (formerly HomeGauge): Home inspection software and connected inspection-tools platform for residential inspectors and HVAC/IEP contractors. Comparable as a software/IoT provider that monetizes through the same home inspector and HVAC contractor channel that AirGuard is building for its Authorized Contractor and Directory partner programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AirGuard-pro
• Facebookfacebook.com/AirGuardforMold
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/airguard-detect-and-protect

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 AirGuard