Submitted
2025 Global Climate Challenge

Vita

Team Leader
Serena Allen
AirVitalize builds compact, mobile outdoor air purifiers that clean polluted air outside in real time—no filters needed. Our solution is built for cities facing extreme pollution events, like wildfires or temperature inversions, where dirty air gets trapped near the ground and becomes dangerous to breathe. We deploy a system of 3–4 compact units (about 2 ft x 3 ft x...
What is the name of your organization?
AirVitalize
What is the name of your solution?
Vita
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Transforming outdoor air.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Fairbanks, AK, USA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
USA
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Extreme weather is fueling a worsening air quality crisis that threatens both human health and the environment. Heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts are intensifying particulate pollution—especially in regions with temperature inversions, where cold air traps smoke and emissions near the ground. These stagnant air events are becoming more frequent and severe due to shifting jet streams and atmospheric instability caused by climate change. Over one billion people live in areas affected by inversions, from Delhi to Fairbanks, Alaska. Much of the pollution trapped is black carbon—a powerful but underregulated climate force up to 1,000 times more potent than CO₂ over 20 years. It accelerates ice melt, disrupts weather systems, and degrades ecosystems. In Los Angeles, for example, airborne pollutants are contributing to ocean acidification at twice the global average. This is not just a public health issue. It’s an equity crisis. Low-income communities are typically the most exposed to inversion-prone pollution and the least equipped with resources to respond. The result is a compounding threat where climate change, poor air quality, and social vulnerability collide.
What is your solution?
AirVitalize builds compact, mobile outdoor air purifiers that clean polluted air outside in real time—no filters needed. Our solution is built for cities facing extreme pollution events, like wildfires or temperature inversions, where dirty air gets trapped near the ground and becomes dangerous to breathe. We deploy a system of 3–4 compact units (about 2 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft each) that work together to clean the air across the area of an entire American football field. Each unit uses less than 60 watts of power—similar to a lightbulb—and can be powered by solar energy. Our patented technology uses fixed-plate ionization to charge and collect particulate matter like PM2.5 and black carbon. A custom airflow chassis pushes clean air outward, making the system ideal for parks, schools, stadiums, and housing complexes. Unlike traditional outdoor purifiers, our units are filterless, making them more scalable and far easier to maintain. Pollution captured by our units can be weighed, repurposed, and tracked as verified climate impact. We focus deployment in communities most affected by pollution and are preparing to launch Vita 2.0 in June 2025. See our case study here: www.airvitalize.tech/case-study
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
You get a notification on your phone: the outdoor air is unhealthy today. But life doesn’t stop. You still go to work. Your kids still play outside. And unless you can leave town, you're stuck breathing polluted air. That’s the reality in Fairbanks, Alaska and Los Angeles—two very different places with the same outcome: dangerous air. But here’s the thing—these communities have already put in the work. They’ve banned backyard burning, upgraded stoves, pushed for public transit, and done every affordable solution available. But the payoff is shrinking. Why? Because the next pollution sources are decentralized and harder to control: cars, wildfires, and small industries. And the next steps—like taking a factory from 99.5% to 99.99% clean—are prohibitively expensive. AirVitalize serves communities that are doing their best and still suffering. We create clean-air zones in the places people already go: parks, schools, stadiums. Soon, families will be able to check an app and find where the air is healthiest—even on bad air days. That means fewer asthma attacks, lower healthcare costs, and hope for people who’ve tried everything and still deserve better air.
Solution Team:
Serena Allen
Serena Allen