PNOE’s new face mask wants to make lab-grade breath testing a self-serve affair — SkimNews
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- PNOĒ 2.0, launching October 1, lets users self-administer an 8-minute breath test capturing 23 biomarkers including VO₂ max, eliminating the trained operator its current device requires.
- PNOĒ sells exclusively to businesses at $400 to over $1,000 per month, with clients including Equinox, Four Seasons, Red Bull, the NBA, Mount Sinai Health System, and Restore Hyper Wellness.
- The 10-year-old startup recently turned profitable while growing more than 100% annually, employs 110 people, and plans a Series B within six to 12 months.
- PNOĒ has raised about $22 million, including a recently closed $11 million round from 50 Years and Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen; about 85% of revenue comes from the U.S.
- Apostolos Atsalakis, co-founder and CEO, calls VO₂ max "the strongest predictor of human longevity," but the device is not FDA-cleared and PNOĒ explicitly avoids medical recommendations, framing itself as a wellness tool akin to a scale.
- The self-serve design detaches electronics from the silicone mask and straps so multiple users can share hardware while keeping personal masks, refined over "a lot, a lot, a lot of iterations" with Milan-based Design Group Italia.
- The space is getting crowded: Apple, Garmin, and Whoop estimate VO₂ max from heart-rate data, while consumer devices like Lumen analyze breath to gauge fat and carb burning.
Why it matters: PNOĒ's shift from operator-required to self-serve removes the biggest deployment barrier, lowering the cost of placing the mask in gyms and pharmacies that couldn't staff a trained technician. Turning profitable while growing 100%+ annually — with Equinox, Four Seasons, and the NBA already as paying clients — shows the $400-$1,000/month model works without FDA clearance, riding premium wellness demand rather than clinical adoption.
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