Back in March, James Matthews profiled Susan Blanchet and her clean-air-as-a-service startup Origen Air. He wrote that Origen's hardware provides “clean air for any size commercial space at a monthly fee. The devices also report back real-time air quality data, as if your favourite house plant became proficient in data analytics and learned how to present its findings with you.” Ultimately, the goal was to cleverly and sustainably bring fresh air inside.

This past August, on the heels of early success, Origen Air announced that it closed a $1.5 million seed round, which included a strategic investment from First Inflection Business Advisors. George Yan, the organization's co-founder and COO, is a big fan of Origen Air. "I personally have been involved in indoor air quality projects for many years,” he told us. "What sets Origen Air apart from other devices on the marketplace — ones that use UV light for example — is that it pairs a biological system with a mechanical system.”

That innovative approach has recently garnered the company a nomination for an environmental impact award by the prestigious Interior Design Magazine. The publication's Best of Year program is a leading design awards initiative, honouring the most significant work of the year as well as recognizing designers, architects, and manufacturers from around the globe. The winners are chosen according to audience votes. If you want to show your support for Origen Air, you can vote online until October 14.