For more than a century, the secrets encoded in human breath have been accessible only to those with the equipment, expertise, and institutional access to read them. PNOĒ, a Massachusetts startup born from Cambridge PhD research, is releasing a self-administered metabolic mask on October 1 that distills eight minutes of breathing into 23 biomarkers—including VO₂ max, long considered the most reliable predictor of longevity—without requiring a trained operator. The device does not claim to heal or diagnose, but it quietly repositions a once-elite clinical ritual as something a gym member might
PNOĒ launches self-serve metabolic testing mask to democratize VO₂ max measurement
Put on the mask, press the button, sit down, breathe for eight minutes.
Mark
So the whole point is that this used to require someone trained to run the test, and now anyone can do it themselves?
Mimi
Exactly. The old device needed an operator standing there. This one, you put it on, press a button, and eight minutes later you have your data. That opens it up to places that couldn't afford to staff someone full-time.
Luke
But how accurate is it compared to the old version? The source says it's the same accuracy, but is that verified by anyone independent, or is that just what the company claims?
Mimi
That's a fair question. The source doesn't cite independent validation. It's the company's assertion.
Mark
What are they actually measuring? Is it just VO₂ max, or is there more?
Mimi
Twenty-three biomarkers total. VO₂ max, resting metabolic rate, metabolic flexibility—how well your body switches between burning fat and carbs. Things blood tests can't tell you.
Luke
And they're not claiming this is medical, right? It's wellness.
Mimi
Right. Atsalakis was very clear: they don't provide medical recommendations. A doctor can't prescribe based on their results. That's a legal boundary they're maintaining.
Mark
Why does that matter?
Luke
Because it means they avoid FDA oversight for now. But it also means they're not claiming to diagnose anything.
Mimi
Though Atsalakis did say they're exploring whether breath compounds could eventually signal disease. He just said that's years away.
Mark
Who's actually using this right now?
Mimi
Equinox, Four Seasons, Red Bull, the NBA, Mount Sinai Health System, Restore Hyper Wellness. Mostly businesses that offer it to their customers.
Luke
And how much does it cost a business to offer it?
Mimi
Four hundred to over a thousand dollars a month. That includes the hardware, software, training, marketing.
Mark
So it's not cheap for a gym to add this.
Mimi
No, but Atsalakis calls it a "business in a box." The idea is that the gym can use the results to recommend their other services.
Luke
How many people actually use it? The source doesn't say.
Mimi
It doesn't. We know the company is growing over 100% a year and recently turned profitable, but not how many tests they've actually run.
Mark
That's a gap.
Luke
It is. We know they have clients and they're growing, but not the scale.
O Pulso
- Lab-grade metabolic testing has been locked behind trained technicians and specialized facilities for decades, leaving most people to guess at their own physiology.
- PNOĒ 2.0 breaks that barrier on October 1 with a self-serve mask requiring nothing more than eight minutes of seated breathing—no staff, no clinic, no prescription.
- The device surfaces 23 biomarkers that blood panels cannot capture, including how efficiently the body switches between burning fat and carbohydrates, creating a new category of actionable wellness data.
- Without FDA clearance, the company walks a careful line—positioning results as a wellness scorecard rather than medical guidance, even as researchers eye breath analysis as a future window into disease detection.
- PNOĒ is already profitable and growing over 100% annually, with clients ranging from Equinox and Four Seasons to the NBA, and a Series B on the horizon as it pushes into Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
For more than a century, the secrets encoded in human breath have been accessible only to those with the equipment, expertise, and institutional access to read them. PNOĒ, a Massachusetts startup born from Cambridge PhD research, is releasing a self-administered metabolic mask on October 1 that distills eight minutes of breathing into 23 biomarkers—including VO₂ max, long considered the most reliable predictor of longevity—without requiring a trained operator. The device does not claim to heal or diagnose, but it quietly repositions a once-elite clinical ritual as something a gym member might do between sets, asking whether the democratization of self-knowledge is itself a form of medicine.
A startup from Malden, Massachusetts is about to place a sophisticated breath-analysis mask inside gyms, spas, and pharmacies—venues where, until now, metabolic testing simply could not go. PNOĒ's new device, launching October 1, lets anyone measure their VO₂ max and 22 other biomarkers in eight minutes by wearing a mask and breathing. No technician. No appointment. Just data.
The science behind it is old; the accessibility is new. Breath analysis has been a tool of physiologists for over a century, but the equipment required always demanded specialized facilities and trained hands. VO₂ max—the body's ceiling for oxygen use during exertion—became the gold standard for cardiorespiratory fitness and, more recently, a focal point for longevity researchers who link higher scores to lower mortality. PNOĒ's co-founder and CEO Apostolos Atsalakis, whose interest in breath sensing began during PhD work at Cambridge, built the company on the premise that these metrics should not belong exclusively to elite athletes and corporate wellness programs.
The new device is smaller and more reliable than its predecessor, designed through exhaustive iteration with a Milan-based firm—because, as Atsalakis noted, no one had built a self-administered metabolic tester before. A practical hygiene problem was also solved: the electronics detach from the silicone mask, so facilities can share the hardware while each user keeps their own mask.
The 23 biomarkers the device captures—including resting metabolic rate and metabolic flexibility—answer questions blood tests cannot, such as how many calories a person actually needs or how their training should be structured. PNOĒ is careful to stay within wellness boundaries; without FDA clearance, it cannot support medical prescriptions. Atsalakis is candid that diagnostic applications, though scientifically plausible, remain years away.
The company sells exclusively to businesses—Equinox, Four Seasons, the NBA, Mount Sinai, and Restore Hyper Wellness among them—on a subscription model that bundles hardware, software, and marketing into what Atsalakis calls a 'business in a box.' About 85% of revenue comes from the U.S., with expansion underway in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Having recently turned profitable while growing more than 100% annually and backed by roughly $22 million in funding, PNOĒ is preparing a Series B as it works to put its mask—Bane comparisons included—in front of as many faces as possible.
A mask that looks like it belongs in a Batman villain's lair is about to become a fixture in gyms and spas across the country. PNOĒ, a startup based in Malden, Massachusetts, is releasing the PNOĒ 2.0 on October 1—a sleeker, self-serve version of its breath-analyzing device that lets anyone measure their VO₂ max and metabolic markers in eight minutes flat, no trained operator required.
The company's current device demands a technician to administer the test, which keeps it confined to sports labs, hospitals, and high-end wellness programs. The new model changes that equation entirely. Walk into a gym, put on the mask, press a button, sit down, and breathe for eight minutes. That's the whole transaction. Co-founder and CEO Apostolos Atsalakis described it simply: "That's it. It's that easy." The shift opens the door to fitness centers without dedicated staff, pharmacies, and other venues where a trained operator would be impractical or impossible to station.
Metabolic testing itself is not new. For over a century, scientists have analyzed the gases in human breath to understand how the body produces energy. VO₂ max—the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise—has been the gold standard for measuring cardiorespiratory fitness for decades. But the equipment required has always been bulky, expensive, and confined to specialized facilities. That meant the test remained largely the province of elite athletes and corporate wellness programs. PNOĒ's promise is to deliver the same accuracy in a portable package, paired with software that translates results into actionable guidance.
The device captures 23 biomarkers. Beyond VO₂ max, it measures resting metabolic rate—how many calories the body burns at rest—and metabolic flexibility, which reflects how well the body switches between burning fat and carbohydrates. Atsalakis argues these metrics answer questions that blood tests cannot: how many calories a person actually needs, or how they should structure their training. The timing works in PNOĒ's favor. VO₂ max has become a rallying point for longevity enthusiasts, bolstered by research linking higher cardiorespiratory fitness to lower mortality rates. Atsalakis calls VO₂ max the strongest predictor of human longevity, positioning his company's data as a kind of scorecard for the booming wellness industry.
The new device is smaller and more reliable than its predecessor, with fewer moving parts. It was designed through extensive iteration with Milan-based Design Group Italia—Atsalakis emphasized the process involved "a lot, a lot, a lot of iterations," since no one had built a self-administered metabolic testing device before. The company also solved a practical problem that post-pandemic users would naturally ask: who wore it last? The electronics detach from the silicone mask and straps, so multiple people can share the expensive hardware while each user keeps their own mask.
PNOĒ is careful about its claims. The device is not cleared by the FDA, and Atsalakis was explicit: "We do not provide medical recommendations." The company positions itself as a wellness device, comparable to a body composition scale. A doctor cannot prescribe medication based on PNOĒ's results. That boundary may shift. Researchers have long explored whether compounds in breath can signal diseases like cancer, and Atsalakis believes the company's growing dataset could eventually help identify health issues. But he acknowledged that full diagnostic capability is "definitely a couple of years away," with regulatory hurdles likely extending that timeline further.
The company traces its roots to Atsalakis's PhD work in sensing technologies at the University of Cambridge, when wearables were emerging and he became fascinated by what breath could reveal about the body. He co-founded PNOĒ with Panos Papadiamantis, a childhood friend now serving as chief product officer. The startup went through Y Combinator's Winter 2019 batch, before "longevity" became the industry it is today. It has raised about $22 million, including a recently closed $11 million round, from investors including 50 Years and Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen, who is now based in Athens, where PNOĒ also operates.
PNOĒ sells only to businesses, which then offer the test to their customers. Clients include Equinox (available at almost all clubs), Four Seasons hotels, Red Bull, the NBA, Mount Sinai Health System, and Restore Hyper Wellness. About 85% of revenue comes from the U.S., which Atsalakis described as "by far the most advanced market globally" for longevity. The company is now expanding in Europe and, through partners, in Latin America and Asia. Businesses pay a subscription ranging from $400 to over $1,000 per month, covering hardware, software, training, and marketing materials—what Atsalakis calls a "business in a box." PNOĒ links results to the services a business sells, so a gym or spa can recommend specific offerings based on a customer's test results. Many clients use it during onboarding, positioning it somewhere between a full clinical workup and the estimates people get from their smartwatches.
The competitive landscape is crowded. Apple, Garmin, and Whoop estimate VO₂ max from heart-rate data. Consumer devices like Lumen analyze breath to gauge fat and carbohydrate burning. At the high end, traditional metabolic carts remain the standard in labs and hospitals. PNOĒ, which employs 110 people, recently turned profitable while growing more than 100% annually. Atsalakis said the company plans to raise a Series B within the next six to 12 months as it works to put its mask—Bane comparisons and all—in front of more faces.
Citações Notáveis
We made it accessible to everyone.— Apostolos Atsalakis, PNOĒ co-founder and CEO, on the company's mission
We do not provide medical recommendations. It's like a body composition device, like a scale. A doctor cannot prescribe medication based on our results.— Apostolos Atsalakis, on PNOĒ's positioning as a wellness device, not a medical tool
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