Vape Guardian, a vape detection technology startup, has raised £350,000 in a seed funding round from Angel Investment Network. It provides hardware designed to detect vaping in prohibited spaces and sends real-time alerts to staff. The investment will accelerate the company’s mission to eliminate vaping in prohibited spaces and establish its proprietary technology as the global industry standard.
Founded by husband and wife Simon and Jean Hassett, it addresses the "silent epidemic" of underage vaping in schools. Vape Guardian’s sensors resemble traditional smoke alarms and are designed to detect exhaled vaping and THC, with alerts delivered via SMS, email, or a dedicated app. The system is designed to integrate with existing fire and security systems.
The funding will be used to establish market leadership with the aim of protecting 1,000 schools by the end of 2025, scale internationally across the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and global English International Schools, and launch specialised systems for the aviation, workplace, and leisure sectors.
Vape Guardian currently protects over 400 schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is the named brand on all new Department of Education tenders requiring vape detection. With a total addressable market in education alone valued in the billions, Vape Guardian is positioned for explosive growth, with revenue forecast to reach £97M by 2029.
