Delos™ invests in Finnish smart green wall company Naava and introduces cutting edge technology to U.S. market

New York, New York (April 19, 2017) – Delos™, a wellness real estate and technology firm, today announces a strategic investment and partnership with Naava, a Finnish health technology firm that specializes in the development of smart active green walls, further exemplifying Delos’ mission to transform indoor environments into spaces that promote human health and well-being. The strategic relationship with Naava demonstrates Delos’ commitment to curate and accelerate the use of innovative products that may positively impact human health and wellness in the built environment.

Delos has identified the use of Naava smart green wall technology as a mechanism to address numerous aspects of human health and wellness within the built environment, notably the implementation of biophilic design elements and observed improvements in indoor air quality. Leveraging research performed by NASA, Naava smart green walls actively draw air through the root zone of the plant, reducing harmful organic compounds often found in indoor air. Naava focuses on the development and installation of modular systems which may be readily placed in occupied areas, maximizing the impact on humans throughout an indoor space.

“We are excited about the potential that our investment in Naava will have on the future of the built environment, and we look forward to introducing their smart green wall technology in the United States market,” said Paul Scialla, founder and CEO of Delos. “Naava green walls are a visual statement that an organization is embracing health and wellness within the built environment from both a biophilic design and indoor air quality improvement standpoint.”

Building upon over 1,000 smart green wall installations throughout the Nordics, one of the first installations of Naava products within the United States will be at Delos’ new Manhattan office at 860 Washington Street in the Meatpacking District, which will feature 24 green walls throughout the 21,000 square-foot space. Slated to be complete this summer, the office will serve as a showroom for Delos clients who are interested in learning about the technology and customization and implementation opportunities for current and future real estate projects.

“In the modern world we spend approximately 90% of our time indoors, where we may breathe contaminated air and are often disconnected from nature and its benefits. We at Naava are reconnecting humanity with nature, by embracing millions of years of natural innovation with latest technologies and Scandinavian design. Our vision is that by 2025, one billion people can choose to breathe Nordic forest air, everyday, everywhere. For the last five years, we've been working on our unique Naava smart active green wall technology. Now with the help of Delos, we can bring nature and fresh natural air inside offices, schools and homes in the USA,“ said Aki Soudunsaari, co-founder and CEO of Naava.

In order to vet the Naava technology during the due diligence process, Delos engaged world renown testing lab BRE to perform an impartial, single pass efficiency test of the Naava smart green wall. To develop the rigorous test protocol and in an effort to provide an independent assessment of the technology, Delos received the consultative expertise of advisors from Australia’s University of Technology Sydney, Plants and Environmental Quality Research Group.

“The Naava system represents an innovative approach to green wall technology, combining a range of best practice techniques derived from scientific studies around the world, and we were not at all surprised to discover that it had exceptional pollutant removal capacity,” said Dr. Fraser Torpy, director of the Plants and Environmental Quality Research Group and professor at the University of Technology Sydney. “With the backing of Delos, this system has the potential to revolutionize the way we perceive indoor environmental quality. We feel privileged to be involved with research of this caliber, and strongly believe that this is a benchmark example of science and business working together towards making a more sustainable urban environment.”

Delos has spearheaded Naava’s most recent round of financing for which the majority of funds raised will be utilized for entry and subsequent expansion in the United States. Naava is currently establishing manufacturing and assembly roots in New Jersey and is slated to be at full production capacity by May, 2017. Delos will continue to support Naava’s entry and expansion into the United States by acting as a commercial advisor and strategic partner. Additionally, Delos will assist in educating its clients, its employees, and the public at large on the benefits of active green wall technologies and the impact they may have on human health and wellness from a biophilic design and indoor air quality perspective.

Delos is also committed to working with Naava on the development of protocols for studies which further prove the efficacy of Naava smart green walls both in a laboratory setting and real world setting. Furthermore, Delos is committed to potential research related to the effect active green wall technology may have on the indoor microbiome and the positive human health and wellness based outcomes that may be derived from such installations.

About Delos™

As the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate™, Delos is transforming our homes, offices, schools, and other indoor environments by placing health and wellness at the center of design and construction decisions. Delos helps create spaces that actively contribute to human health, performance and wellness by marrying the best innovations in technology, health, science, and real estate. The Delos platform includes programming, design, consulting, research, and an array of innovative solutions and technologies designed to improve health and wellness. More information on Delos is available at www.delos.com

About Naava

Naava is a Nordic health technology company whose smart active green wall innovation brings fresh forest air and nature indoors. The company was founded in 2011 to reconnect humanity with nature. Naava employs over 60 professionals in Finland, Sweden and New York and New Jersey, USA and has installed over 1,000 smart green walls within corporate and residential settings throughout the Nordics. All its products combine millions of years of natural innovation with latest technologies and modern Scandinavian design. Naavas are made in Finland and the USA. By 2025, Naava aims to provide a billion people the chance to breathe nature’s air and experience nature indoors. www.naava.io

Links to photos and videos about Naava:

Watch a video where Naava’s CEO Aki Soudunsaari explains why Naava exists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eahOi7VeaB8

Watch a new animation, which shows through the “eyes” of air how Naava works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqN6z9_F7HY

Press Contacts:

Callie Stanton, Delos
646.654.3438
cstanton@nikecomm.com

Naava Press Contact
Päivi Vuolle, Naava
+358 50 5354 899
paivi.vuolle@naava.io