Laser Egg air quality monitor to give indoor pollution readings for Chinese market

A “smart” air quality monitor called the Laser Egg is about to hit the Chinese market, giving smartphone users a new device and app to measure pollution indoors, as well as outside, so they can better plan their day in China’s notoriously smog-filled metropolises.

The product is set to launch later this month after Origins Technology founder Liam Bates, a 27-year-old Swiss entrepreneur, oversaw a successful round of crowdfunding recently on Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com’s platform. 

His product, which measures the level of fine particulate matter in the air, attracted more than twice its targeted level of funding two weeks ago. It is shaped like an egg sliced in half but with flatter edges, and resembles a white alarm clock.

“It’s exciting to for us to be able to provide an efficient air-quality monitoring solution to our customers, and gain their support,” he told the South China Morning Post. 

“We wanted to make an air quality monitor which can tell you the quality of air in a fast, fun way, and with high accuracy.” 

Bates joins a rising tide of gung-ho businesspeople building IT start-ups in China. Some 49 were established every day on average last year in Beijing's Zhongguancun, dubbed China’s Silicon Valley, making a total of nearly 18,000 new arrivals for 2014 as a whole.