Date: 2026-01-29
We are proud to announce that Respira Technologies has been awarded the NWO (Dutch Research Council) Take-Off phase 2 grant of €450K.
It is an important recognition of the progress Respira has made so far and the potential ahead, and enables them to take the next step in their growth journey and further accelerate their plans.
Driving under the influence (DUI) of laughing gas (N2O) is an urgent societal problem in the Netherlands, Europe and worldwide. In the Netherlands alone this causes about twenty deaths and more than hundred severe injuries in traffic accidents every year. Respira developed a laughing gas breath detector that the traffic police can use in roadside checks. In the project, they will produce the first product versions and work with stakeholders to deploy the devices in the field.
Respira: "Our reliable and accurate portable breathalyzer is world-first and is expected to have a strong preventative effect in reducing laughing gas DUI."
Pepijn van Rutten: "The Demonstrator Lab at VU enables us to do so many things: from rapid prototyping and analysing our breath samples in the lab space to pitching at events and much more. Above all, the energy of the DLAB community always inspires us to continue, make impact and learn from each other."
