PNOĒ is launching a self-administered, eight-minute metabolic breath test on October 1, targeting fitness centers and gyms with a redesigned mask that eliminates the need for a trained operator. Developed by the Malden, Massachusetts-based startup, the PNOĒ 2.0 device measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide exhalation to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness markers like VO₂ max.
The Shift to Self-Service Metabolic Testing
For more than a century, clinical metabolic testing has served as the gold standard for measuring VO₂ max and tracking how the human body produces energy. However, that diagnostic process traditionally required bulky, expensive laboratory equipment operated by trained professionals. That operational bottleneck limited testing primarily to sports labs, hospitals, elite athletes, and executive wellness programs.
PNOĒ co-founder and CEO Apostolos Atsalakis stated in an interview that the new device simplifies the procedure so a user can walk into a gym, put on the mask, press a button, and sit down for an eight-minute breathing session. The company designed the hardware with detachable electronics. This allows fitness businesses to share the costly analyzing hardware among multiple users while individual customers keep their own silicone masks and straps, solving post-pandemic hygiene concerns.
Biomarkers and Market Positioning
The PNOĒ system captures 23 distinct biomarkers from a single breath sample. Beyond VO₂ max, the software measures resting metabolic rate—calculating calories burned at rest—and metabolic flexibility, which tracks how efficiently the body switches between burning fat and carbohydrates.
Atsalakis noted that the timing aligns with a broader surge in longevity interest, where cardiorespiratory fitness is frequently cited as a key predictor of human longevity. Despite its detailed clinical metrics, PNOĒ positions the hardware strictly as a wellness device rather than an FDA-cleared diagnostic tool. Atsalakis clarified that the company does not provide medical recommendations, comparing the function to a standard body composition scale rather than a medical prescription.
Company Growth and Future Distribution Channels
PNOĒ traces its origins to Atsalakis’s doctoral research on sensing technologies at the University of Cambridge, where he partnered with childhood friend and chief product officer Panos Papadiamantis. The startup participated in Y Combinator’s Winter 2019 batch and has raised approximately $22 million in total funding, including an $11 million financing round backed by investors such as 50 Years and Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen.
Historically, PNOĒ has sold its analyzers directly to institutional and professional clients, with customer lists including Equinox, the NBA, Mount Sinai Health System, Red Bull, Four Seasons, and Restore Hyper Wellness. While the October 1 launch focuses primarily on gyms and fitness centers, leadership has identified pharmacies as a potential secondary channel for the self-serve hardware as the company expands its footprint outside traditional labs.
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