A few fellow students from ETH Zurich developed an air quality measuring device – the Wuerfeli. Their startup is called Quanta Elusio, or QE for short, meaning “the intangible counting” – a concept that reflects much of physics: things we cannot see, yet believe we know. Laurin Schwitter, Co-Founder of QE GmbH and Wuerfeli Product Manager, explains in this interview how and why their product makes the invisible visible.
The Wuerfeli is an air quality measuring device that uses colors to indicate how much of the room’s air volume has already been “used up” – essentially, how good or bad the air quality is. True to the saying “To measure is to know”, our focus isn’t just on the device, but also on the user. We want users to understand what the device is measuring – in a simple and intuitive way. The goal is a device that anyone can use without explanation – even our mothers.
To achieve this, we first had to understand the environmental parameters ourselves. For example: what does 46% humidity actually mean? Is it good or bad? What is the user’s benefit in knowing this value – and how can they influence it? Traditional sensors often fail to answer these questions, are not user-friendly, or require additional tools. With Wuerfeli, users immediately see: It’s no longer green? Time to open a window to improve air quality.
The vision of QE GmbH: “Enable people to meet, work and live in healthy indoor air.”
Beyond selling Wuerfeli, we also offer free webinars and talks to close knowledge gaps about air. We focus exclusively on real data, collected for example in our EMPA study across 224 classrooms.
QE also serves as our legal backbone and future platform for young engineers – a space for makers and their projects, with minimal bureaucracy and short paths.
Some of our team previously worked at a global sensor manufacturer. During the home office phase, we began measuring air quality in our apartments – and were surprised by the high levels of CO₂ and aerosol particles we were producing through breathing, often carrying viruses.
We set ourselves the goal of creating a small device that encourages people to ventilate consciously – to improve focus and significantly reduce infection risks.
Together with EMPA in Dübendorf, we conducted a study in 59 schools across the Grisons/Graubünden. By collecting massive amounts of minute-by-minute data since October 2021, we could observe user behavior, measure impact, and further develop the device.
My co-founder Sonam Bhuka and I met during school in Chur, where we already dreamed of building our own company in our home region. We gained knowledge while studying in Zurich – but we want to implement it here in the Grisons/Graubünden. When we learned that a Technopark had opened in our canton, it was immediately clear that this was the perfect development hub for our tech startup.
We benefit from the inspiring atmosphere and support here – and look forward to the next steps.
For now, our goal is to bring the Wuerfeli into serial production and distribution (planned in Switzerland for 2022). We also aim to transform our other ideas into concrete products. As our startup is self-financed, this requires patience and sensitivity in investment and development. In five years, we want to establish a thriving company in the Grisons/Graubünden that develops electrotechnical solutions for better indoor air.
Our vision remains: “Enable people to meet, work and live in healthy indoor air.”
We also want to inspire others in the canton to turn their ideas into reality and become entrepreneurs. Together with Technopark, we want to strengthen the the Grisons/Graubünden startup scene.
Thank you, Laurin, for this inspiring interview!
