Redefining the future of indoor climate control
At BGF, our Early Stage team backs bold ideas and exceptional teams tackling meaningful global challenges — and few challenges are as urgent, pervasive, and overlooked as the energy usage of buildings. That’s why we‘re excited to be backing Artus Air.
A spinout from Arup Ventures’ incubation hub, Artus Air is reimagining HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), with a radically more efficient approach to indoor climate control.
The historic, hidden cost of comfort
This is the problem Artus Air is tackling head-on.
Traditional HVAC systems in commercial buildings are characterised by high energy consumption, significant space requirements, and substantial installation and maintenance costs.
With extensive ducting and bulky components, fitting them into a building can be a drawn-out process that eats into ceiling space and design flexibility. Once up and running, they often overwork to compensate for system losses, driving up energy use and electricity bills. And when something goes wrong, repairs are anything but simple.
And it’s not just about cost and complexity — traditional HVAC systems are also a major climate offender. Air conditioning alone consumes around 7% of global electricity and accounts for 3% of greenhouse gas emissions.
As the push towards net zero accelerates, the pressure is on for building owners to clean up their act and comply with regulations.
A smarter, smaller, more sustainable solution
Retrofitting existing spaces with smarter, more energy-efficient tech is quickly becoming one of the most impactful ways to reduce costs, cut carbon, and meet energy saving standards.
Artus Air is playing a key role in retrofitting more carbon-efficient HVAC systems and setting new standards within the industry. Its compact, low-energy air conditioning unit was developed by a team of engineers and designers with decades of experience in building services.
Compared to a standard ducted fan coil unit, Artus Air’s technology delivers:
- 87% reduction in operational energy usage
- 13% overall cost saving
- 3x faster installation
- 66% whole life carbon saving
- Market-leading comfort from patented air distribution technology
This isn’t just an incremental improvement — it’s a validated step-change in building technology, addressing not just energy use, but also space efficiency, flexibility, maintenance, and user experience.
