Did you know that people spend an average of 21.6 hours indoors each day, where indoor air can be up to 4.5 times more polluted than the air outside? In today’s world, where clean air is crucial for health and well-being, reliable air purification is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. This is where Swasher makes its mark, with a clear mission: to make advanced air purification accessible to everyone, ensuring no one is left behind in the pursuit of breathing clean, healthy air.

At the heart of this mission is Swasher's flagship product, Swasher—a groundbreaking air purifier inspired by the principles of Swirl, Safe, and Sustainable. Swasher blends state-of-the-art technology with eco-friendly design, delivering a sustainable solution that enhances the living environment for all.

Swasher’s vision extends far beyond product innovation; they are dedicated to creating solutions that have a lasting, positive impact on humanity. Focused on future generations, their mission is to ensure that clean air becomes a universal right.

At CIO Bulletin, we had the privilege of interviewing Sunun Lee, CEO of Swasher. He shared valuable insights into how his company is using safe and sustainable technology to create products that benefit humanity, ensuring that both present and future generations can breathe clean, healthy air.

Interview Highlights

Could you tell us about the early days of Swasher? What inspired the company's founding and the initial vision behind it? How have your products and services evolved since then?

The journey began as a consumer. I researched extensively to find a good air purifier for my grandmother, who had trouble breathing after her surgery. The situation was dire; as Seoul's fine dust levels in 2018 had reached record highs. However, my grandmother didn’t find any relief from the air purifiers, so she decided to move to the countryside for better air quality.

During my search for a suitable air purifier, I recognized the issues present in the current market. This led me to believe that water-based air purifiers could be the solution. This is the story of how Swasher came to be, fueled by the ambition to develop an air purifier that could truly enhance air quality and support people in need, such as my dear grandmother.

I can assert that innovation has been the decisive factor supporting Swasher’s growth. We do more than just develop our core technology, the double vortex air purification technology. Our goal is to constantly provide smarter and more efficient solutions. Thanks to this process, we’ve developed tailored air purifiers for different environments, resulting in the remarkable expansion and growth of Swasher.

Swasher emphasizes providing universal air purification technology. How did the idea for Swasher come about, and what inspired its development?

While serving as an engineer at Samsung Electronics Semiconductor, I put the environment, safety, and health as my top priorities. This is where I came to understand and gain knowledge about the importance of air quality and air purification technology. My insight into indoor air quality problems like fine dust and yellow dust enlightened me during this period. The irony is that poor air quality becomes worse when more people abandon air cleaning efforts. The current technology for cleaning air increases purifying costs exponentially with the level of pollution. We, therefore, began inventing ways to solve this problem as soon as we realized how critical it was, given the impending climate crisis. Therefore, rather than focusing only on technology that can be used in a small number of settings, our first goal is to develop sustainable, universal technology that can be widely used by anyone, anywhere in the world, regardless of social or economic background.

Can you explain the unique features of the Swasher air purifiers, such as the Double Vortex technology, and how they set your products apart in the market?

A standout feature of Swasher is its ability to operate solely with water, without the need for disposable filters, made possible by Swasher’s proprietary innovative technologies.

In terms of the technology, we have advanced from our primary technology, ‘the dual vortex air purification,’ to realize the secondary technology, ‘electrostatic precipitation,’ which will be integrated into the Swasher 2. Double vortex technology is a basic air dust collection principle of Swasher. It’s a system that draws in air with a fan, rotating it in a spiral direction, while water is simultaneously rotated in a vortex, maximizing the contact area between air and water per unit of time.

The second technology enhances collection performance by eliminating the physical electrostatic precipitator plate and replacing its function with a water vortex. This fusion of the primary and secondary technologies allows us to purify significantly larger volumes of air with the same amount of water, regardless of water quality. In addition, we provide general-purpose air purification technology that ensures design, price, air purification performance level, ease of use, and convenience of maintenance.

Swasher aims to make air purification accessible to everyone. How do you ensure affordability without compromising on the quality and effectiveness of your products?

The key to affordable air purification is using water instead of a filter, without being affected by water quality. Swasher is designed for those burdened with purchasing and replacing expensive disposable HEPA filters. To maintain a certain level of performance with a filter-based air purifier, it typically requires more than 10 filter replacements per year. Considering that each filter replacement costs around $53, this amounts to over $530 in annual expenses. Especially in places where air pollution is consistently severe, the lifespan of disposable HEPA filters becomes very short, significantly increasing the cost of replacement.

Additionally, water can absorb more dust and airborne contaminants than plastic or iron, reduce noise, and inhibit foreign matter from re-emerging once it has settled. Moreover, it can safely purify the air using water of various qualities, such as rainwater, river water, ocher water, and lime water, making it more eco-friendly and economical compared to other technologies that can only purify the air with clean water.

Your company envisions building large-scale air purification facilities with natural energy sources. How do you plan to achieve this ambitious goal with Swasher City, and what impact do you foresee it having on global air quality standards?

At Gongong, our mission to build large-scale air purification facilities using natural energy sources is becoming a reality through our Swasher City project. By partnering with South Korea’s Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) and signing a Green Industry Alliance with the Ministry of Environment, we’ve secured vital support to bring our Swasher technology to smart cities. These collaborations allow us to rapidly implement our cutting-edge double vortex technology into urban infrastructures, ensuring that air quality management becomes an integral part of future city planning.

What makes Swasher revolutionary is its ability to purify air affordably and sustainably using only water, without being affected by water quality. As we integrate AI into this technology, our systems will automatically optimize air quality across entire cities, adjusting in real-time to changes in pollution levels. This ensures the cleanest air for citizens while minimizing energy and operational costs, transforming the way cities manage air pollution.

Ultimately, our vision is to create a world where people no longer worry about air pollution or purification costs. Through government partnerships and innovative AI-driven solutions, we aim to build a global health ecosystem where clean air is accessible to all, contributing to healthier lives and sustainable cities worldwide.

Looking ahead, what innovations or expansions can we expect from Swasher in the near future? Are there new products or technologies on the horizon that you can share with us?

Our vision is "Innovating the air you breathe in every space," and we operate our company with the goal of expanding into all environments. Among the various projects we have planned for the future, we are excited to share the upcoming launch of Swasher 2. We are preparing to introduce our new model, the Swasher 2, which is a revolutionary home health device that utilizes our water and electronic field technology to purify the air, eliminating the need for disposable filters or dust collection plates.

What sets Swasher 2 apart from the previous version is the addition of an electric dust collection plate, significantly enhancing its performance as a HEPA filter. This innovative feature allows Swasher 2 to seamlessly remove harmful particles from various sources, such as cigarette smoke, viruses, and harmful gases, ensuring protection at home, in the office, and beyond.

About | Sunun Lee

Sunun Lee is the Founder and CEO of Swasher, dedicated to making clean air accessible to all. Drawing on his experience as an engineer at Samsung Electronics, he developed the Swasher, a groundbreaking water-based, filterless air purifier that employs Swasher's proprietary double vortex technology.

Under Sunun's leadership, Swasher has rapidly expanded, securing partnerships with major institutions like the Korea Water Resources Corporation and the Ministry of Environment. His innovative approach combines AI integration with a commitment to sustainable air purification solutions for smart cities. Sunun envisions a healthier world where clean air is a universal right and technology collaborates with nature to tackle global air quality challenges.

“Swasher is transforming air purification by using water and our innovative Double Vortex technology, making clean air accessible and affordable for everyone. We believe that every person deserves to breathe pure air, and with Swasher, we're making that vision a reality.”