A new HVAC company founded by thermal scientists, engineers and talent from juggernauts like Tesla and Nest has given the humble home air conditioner a radical makeover.
Gradient has replaced the conventional home window air conditioner with a space-saving designed solution that keeps homes cool with advanced heat pump technology and a climate-friendly refrigerant.
Air conditioning is essential to quality of life and work productivity, but the basic design of window air conditioners has not changed in 50 years.
Gradient CEO, Vince Romanin, said the company has a mission to cool the world by transforming every home to be more comfortable and healthy without compromising the environment.
“We believe we can build a better home air conditioning solution while fighting climate change," he said.
"Air conditioning is one of the most essential amenities to keep people comfortable and productive in a warming world, but too many people are struggling with antiquated window AC units that are clunky, noisy, heavy, and inefficient.
Gradient offers a beautiful, intuitive design, a more efficient, sleek, quiet air conditioning experience, and climate-friendly refrigerants. Building a better air conditioner is one of the most effective ways to help people stay comfortable at home while helping to slash carbon emissions from HVAC systems."
The Gradient is designed to be easy to install and does not block the view like a traditional window AC unit. It provides the benefits of a professional-grade heat pump system at a fraction of the cost. It can provide cooling and heating year-round and is easy to use via mobile app.
Gradient spun out from Otherlab, a private R&D lab in San Francisco that has leveraged over $40MM in government grants to incubate hard tech companies in the manufacturing, energy, and robotics industries.
The Gradient solution will be available for sale in the United States next year.