What problem does Altos solve?
Altos is the first personal productivity accessory that notifies people when air composition changes and it can affect their cognitive performance. It was born from my and my co-founder Mit’s interest in wellbeing and from the scientific article that proved our assumption – CO2 composition directly affects our cognitive functions.
Besides the device, which has a high-precision CO2 sensor, combined with some other environmental sensors and a thought-out design, we developed a simple BrainFuel scale. The BrainFuel scale allows people to understand when they need to take a walk or ventilate the room and when their productivity might be impaired by CO2 composition, via app notifications. We were aiming to create a device that people would love to include in their daily life and believe that it can help to shape mindful routines around work, sport, and sleep. Our brain performance and body are sensitive to physical factors and we are on our way to creating a whole Internet of Things (IoT) system that will help people measure the environment they are in and see how it can affect their wellbeing.
As the founder, what is your background?
I am Alina Ganova, the CEO and Co-Founder of Altos. My background is in cognitive science and innovative technologies. I was always mesmerized by how people interact with each other, with objects and spaces, and how different factors shape our behavior and perceptions. And when I was getting my second master’s I chose Interactive Digital Systems as my elective course and it was my favorite subject. It was the first time I was working with Arduino and it felt like magic. It gave me a new perception of what could be done with hardware and as cheesy as it might sound, it took a special place in my heart. Before committing to Altos, I was working in the software development area and later switched towards industrial design and production, working with clients like Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Sogrape, Nandos, among others. But then I met my co-founder Mit, who is a serial inventor and entrepreneur focusing on product design and it was a match and the idea of Altos was born.
What is unique about your company?
The major point of differentiation is that we are focusing on wellbeing and productivity: we designed the BrainFuel scale that is giving people a clear understanding of how CO2 composition and other environment-related data is currently affecting them. When you tell people that their current ppm level is 500, it doesn’t tell them anything. But when you tell people that they might be unproductive right now or that their environment is now optimal for decision-making – that is a game-changer.
We also designed Altos with a focus on portability, so people could carry them around, it doesn’t need to be plugged in all the time and it also has an extremely powerful battery, so users could charge it once approximately every six months. We have also received two design awards, iF Design Award 2021 and RedDot, which helped us position ourselves differently. We really wanted people to interact with the device daily, and in this case, it is important to make objects that are aesthetically pleasing.
Where can people find your product?
Customers can purchase their own device on the Products – GetAltos. The personal productivity accessory comes in three colors and we are currently offering two-day shipping.
