Molekule

Molekule is a science and technology company headquartered in San Francisco. It designs and manufactures air purifiers that use photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO), a technology that the company claims may be useful against chemicals, microbes, allergens, and other forms of air pollution.[2][3][4][5] However, the devices were found to be ineffective in independent product tests by The Wirecutter (which described Molekule as "the worst air purifier we've ever tested") and Consumer Reports (which ranked Molekule as the third lowest in a 2019 test of 48 air purifiers). The Better Business Bureau has asked Molekule to stop a range of claims the company made about the effectiveness of its devices.

Molekule
Formerly
Transformair
Inc
IndustryManufacturing
Founded2014
FounderJaya Rao, Dilip Goswami[1]
Headquarters
San Francisco
,
United States
Key people
As of 2020: Dilip Goswami (CEO), Jaya Rao (COO), Dharendra, Yogi Goswami (Chief Scientist)[1]
ProductsMolekule Home One (MH1)
Websitemolekule.com

History

The company was founded in 2014 under the name Transformair, and was renamed Molekule in 2016.[6][7][8] The company was co-founded by Jaya Rao and her brother Dilip Goswami.[1] Their father Dharendra Yogi Goswami, who worked on the PECO technology used by Molekule air purifiers, serves as Chief Scientist at Molekule.[1]

Molekule’s first product, Molekule Air, also known as the Molekule MH1, started shipping in early 2017.[9] It received positive reviews from Popular Mechanics,[10] and Business Insider.[11] However, Business Insider later removed the Molekule Air Purifier from its recommendations "due to its high price, lesser than ideal performance, and questionable marketing claims the company has made."[11]

In 2019, Wirecutter called the Molekule Air "The Worst Air Purifier We’ve Ever Tested" based on its performance in filtering fine particulates.[12] Consumer Reports similarly described Molekule as "the third-lowest-scoring air purifier of the 48 we tested" and noted that

Even if the PECO filter works and it purifies the air of microscopic particles, it’s still not effectively catching the large particles, which are also irritants. [...] Theoretically, PECO could work to eliminate microscopic airborne molecules. But our tests show that the Molekule Air is not proficient at catching larger airborne particles, which ultimately means it’s not getting enough air passing through the system.[13]

Molekule responded in a blog post "What Consumer Reports and Wirecutter Got Wrong in Their Molekule Reviews[14]" and in a video from Molekule COO Jaya Rao.[15][14]

In October 2019, the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division (NAD) asked Molekule to stop 26 advertising claims that the company had been making about the effectiveness of its devices, upholding a complaint by competitor Dyson.[16][17] Molekule complied with some of the recommendations (e.g. removing references to "independent testing"[9]) but appealed others, arguing that the NAD had not taken into account some newer test results.[16][17] In June 2020, the BBB's National Advertising Review Board rejected Molekule's appeal almost entirely, with Molekule agreeing to remove various additional claims, including its longstanding slogan "Finally, an air purifier that actually works", and to modify others to clarify that they refer to the PECO technology rather than its actual MH1 product.[9]

In February 2020, Molekule received $58 million in additional funding.[17] Around the same time, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company's Chief Scientist Yogi Goswami stated he was "very confident that [Molekule's] technology will destroy coronavirus", which was described by Vox as one of "the most ridiculous ways companies are trying to profit from the coronavirus outbreak".[18]

Also around spring 2020, Molekule received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for a new product, the Molekule Air Pro RX, as a Class II medical device.[9]

Awards
  • Popular Science best home inventions of 2016.[19]
  • Finalist at the SXSW 2017 Interactive Innovation Awards for Health, Med, & Biotech, 2017.[20]
  • Silver Edison Award for Environmental Quality, 2017.[21]
  • Time Magazine Best Inventions of 2017.[22]
  • Fast Company’s 2018 Innovation By Design Awards.[23]

References
  1. "Molekule". Molekule. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. Azevedo, Mary Ann (November 1, 2018). "Molekule Raises $25M To Bring Air Purification Out Of The 1940s". Crunchbase News.
  3. Cohan, Peter. "Molekule Vies With Honeywell, Dyson In $33B Air Purification Market". Forbes.
  4. Molekule, Studio 61 for. "Paid Content: Molekule's technology feels like a breath of fresh air". CNET.
  5. https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/08/29/air-purifier-wildfires-molekule.html
  6. "Molekule | About". Molekule.
  7. "Kim's Tips for Computers, Laptops, Mobile Phones | Tips | Komando.com". The Kim Komando Show.
  8. "A Golden Gate Update". February 11, 2019.
  9. Heffernan, Tim (2020-06-10). "Molekule Retracts Most of Its Advertising Claims". Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  10. https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/g22816590/best-air-purifier/
  11. Brains, James. "The best air purifiers". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  12. https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-air-purifier/
  13. Santanachote, Perry (9 December 2019). "Does the Molekule Air Purifier Live Up to the Hype?". Consumer Reports. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  14. Inc, Molekule (30 January 2020). "What Consumer Reports and Wirecutter Got Wrong in Their Molekule Reviews". Molekule Blog.
  15. Rao, Jaya. "Molekule co-founder and CEO". YouTube. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  16. "NAD Recommends Molekule Discontinue Pollution Elimination, Asthma and Allergy Symptom Relief Claims for its Molekule Home One Air Purifier; Advertiser to Appeal Certain Findings". Advertising Self-Regulatory Council. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  17. Desantis, Nick (2020-03-02). "An air purifier company just raised $58m, but an ad watchdog says something stinks". The Hustle. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  18. Heilweil, Rebecca (2020-03-11). "The most ridiculous ways companies are trying to profit from the coronavirus outbreak". Vox. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  19. "The 10 Greatest Home Innovations Of The Year". Popular Science.
  20. "65 Finalists Announced for the 2017 Interactive Innovation Awards". January 23, 2017.
  21. "Edison Awards™ - Honoring the Best in Innovation and Innovators". www.edisonawards.com.
  22. "The 25 Best Inventions of 2017". Time.
  23. Gagne, Yasmin (September 10, 2018). "Building a better air filter". Fast Company.
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