Start-up wants to create an alternative to the measuring container

Munich Whenever there is a question of pollution on roads or possible diesel driving bans, they become the focus of interest: large measuring containers at traffic junctions in cities. “But this can only be used to determine the air quality at a few points for a lot of money,” says founder Karim Tarraf.

With their start-up Hawa Dawa – which means “healthy air” in Arabic and other languages ​​- Tarraf and his co-founders are currently building a comprehensive digital measuring network with inexpensive sensors for environmental data in real time in many cities. The measured values ​​are combined with other data such as weather, traffic flows and satellite measurements using algorithms and made available to city planners and commercial customers.

“A whole new market is emerging with enormous potential,” Tarraf is convinced. The measurements on the containers are very precise, but limited to just a few points. This could lead to massive but ineffective countermeasures that do not really solve the problem, but only shift it to other, unmonitored areas.

The start-up’s business model is not about selling the measuring stations, but about the data. With the help of artificial intelligence, for example, forecasts are to be made as to when and where the air quality could deteriorate. Then, for example, traffic flows can be diverted in good time before limit values ​​are exceeded.

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There are many areas of application. Hawa Dawa has just received an order from two European capitals to set up a cloud-based, intelligent measurement network. Cities want to know when and where there is a risk of excessive fine dust levels and what the air quality is like in kindergartens and playgrounds. In the commercial sector, for example, running apps could suggest routes to athletes where the air is as clean as possible.

Hawa Dawa founders Yvonne Rusche, Matthew Fullerton, Karim Tarraf and Birgit Fullerton (from left)

The start-up is building a comprehensive digital measurement network with inexpensive sensors for real-time environmental data in many cities.

(Photo: Hawa Dawa)

The issue was particularly acute three years ago, when large-scale diesel driving bans were threatened in some major German cities such as Stuttgart. In the meantime, things have calmed down a bit in this country. On the one hand, this is because other topics such as the corona pandemic and the Ukraine war dominate the news. In addition, the air quality has improved in many places, also because local measures have had an effect.

But at Hawa Dawa, they are convinced that the problem will persist for a long time. This is also shown by data from the World Health Organization (WHO). In the past year, not a single country was able to comply with the international limit values ​​for air quality.

Market is worth billions of dollars

The WHO recommends that the concentration of small and dangerous airborne particles should not exceed five micrograms per cubic metre. Only 3.4 percent of the cities surveyed met the standard in 2021. Air pollution levels in 93 cities were measured at 10 times the recommended maximum levels.

Hawa Dawa boss Tarraf had worked for the United Nations Environment Program before developing the idea for the company with his wife Yvonne Rusche and Matthew and Birgit Fullerton. He knows from his own experience how important clean air is for the quality of life. Tarraf grew up in Cairo, his brother suffers from asthma, and his parents are lung specialists.

Measuring device from Hawa Dawa

The start-up’s business model is not about selling the measuring stations, but about the data.

(Photo: Hawa Dawa)

According to industry estimates, the market for measuring stations is worth several billion dollars worldwide and is dominated by suppliers of large containers such as Thermo Fisher. A container can cost 150,000 euros, including maintenance over the life cycle, a seven-digit sum, says Tarraf. However, this can only be used to determine the air quality at exactly this point.

“For the money we can equip an entire city with a network of digital measuring stations,” explains Tarraf. The measurement accuracy also satisfies the regulatory standards, which the TÜV has confirmed.

Due to their extremely high accuracy, the large systems are considered the standard. However, it is not economically viable to use this to record air quality across the board. Hybrid networks are conceivable, i.e. a combination of a measuring container and a comprehensive system of digital sensors, explains Tarraf. The containers could not only provide the data for their locations, but also verify the measurement accuracy of the other sensors as a reference. The digital networks could also enable measurements over a large area.

Hawa Dawa currently has a mid three-digit number of measuring stations in use. Customers in Germany include Mainz, Ulm and Berlin. According to the company, around a third of the population could be covered with 1,500 measuring points in Germany.

Hawa Dawa is currently heading for seven-figure sales. This should only be the beginning. “We want to fuel the market,” says Tarraf. With regard to the climate crisis, air pollutants should not be overlooked either. “If you take the 1.5-degree target seriously, you can’t get past it,” explains the founder.

In the second half of the year, the EU will tighten the guidelines for air quality. “Without a comprehensive measurement network, the cities will not be able to get the problem under control.”

More: RAG Foundation forms a robot network: United Robotics takes over “Pepper”.

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