Sans: From Pandemic Bubble to Nine‑Figure Home Health Brand

When two friends in a COVID bubble turned a simple air purifier into a $100M company, they proved that listening to customers beats fancy tech alone.

During the early days of the pandemic, Adam Bedford and John Fanelly found themselves in a shared “COVID bubble” in Southern California. With lockdowns tightening, people were suddenly hyper‑aware of indoor air quality. The pair seized the moment, self‑funding a Los Angeles‑based venture that would become Sans. Launched in 2020, Sans began with a single product: a quiet, medical‑grade air purifier that combined HEPA filtration, a pound of activated carbon, and an internal UV‑C light to trap 99.97 % of airborne particles and neutralize pathogens. At just 25 decibels, it outshone many household fans in silence.

From that modest start, Sans grew into a nine‑figure company with 15 full‑time employees spread across five continents and a UK launch on the horizon. The company now plans to exceed $100 million in revenue by 2026—all without outside funding. How did they scale so fast? Three core lessons emerge from their journey.

1. Gather customer feedback to forge an emotional bond
Early marketing focused on hard science—filtration percentages, UV‑C efficacy, and particle size. Yet the real breakthrough came when the founders shifted to everyday concerns: dust, pet dander, odors, and allergies. By re‑crafting their ad narrative around these lived‑in problems, Sans struck a chord that translated into sales spikes. The lesson? Data is powerful, but empathy turns features into solutions people feel compelled to buy.

2. Forecast demand with granular precision
When orders surged, inventory ran thin. Bedford and Fanelly had to ship a 20‑foot container from overseas to their Los Angeles warehouse—a costly, high‑stakes move that underscored the need for accurate forecasting. They learned that precise demand modeling, coupled with transparent communication about shipping timelines, can keep customers loyal even when fulfillment lags.

3. Embrace a multi‑category mindset, but treat each launch as a new business
Expanding beyond air purifiers into water purification and self‑cleaning bottles required starting from scratch each time. “Launching a new category is like launching a new business,” Bedford notes. This mindset forces founders to build fresh supply chains, marketing strategies, and customer education for every product line. It also keeps the brand agile and prevents over‑dependence on a single revenue stream.

Sans’s story is a testament to the power of self‑funding, relentless customer focus, and disciplined scaling. By staying true to their vision and treating each new product as a fresh venture, Bedford and Fanelly have turned a pandemic‑era idea into a global home‑health essentials brand. Their journey reminds aspiring entrepreneurs that the most sustainable growth comes from listening, learning, and daring to launch again and again.