Inside Blade Air: How Aedan Built a Clean Air Empire

Walk us through your childhood… what played a part in you becoming the founder you are today?

Aedan’s father was a big influence on his journey to becoming a founder. Growing up, he watched his father run his own business and learned early on that hard work and independence went hand-in-hand. “If you’re going to work that hard, work for yourself,” he remembers his dad saying. This advice stuck with him. Aedan knew early on that he wanted to create something of his own, to be “An entrepreneur” It wasn’t about a specific career path; it was about doing something meaningful, something on his own terms. That sense of purpose and self-drive became part of Blade Air’s foundation.

What inspired you to start your company?

Blade Air started with a simple need that turned into a great opportunity. Aedan’s brother Joe, who had always had a green thumb, was growing plants indoors during university. He needed better lighting and temperature control, but growth lockers were pricey. So, Joe decided to build his own, and that’s when he saw a gap in the market: no one was making high-quality, zero-waste carbon filters. “Joe came to me with the idea of the world’s first zero-waste carbon filter, and I was 100% in,” Aedan shares. Together with their friend Giancarlo, the team launched Blade Air, focused on making air quality better and sustainable from the start.

The year 2020 was a pivotal point for your company. Can you walk us through what that looked like?

Blade Air’s journey since 2017 has been a story of resilience, but 2020 was the year it was truly put to the test. From the start, Aedan and his team raised money through pitch competitions, securing $85,000 in non-dilutive funding. By 2019, they completed their first capital raise of $350,000, setting them up for the growth they’d been working toward. Then COVID hit, and everything changed. “One day we flew to Vancouver, and only one person was wearing a mask. By the time we came back, everyone was masked, and the world was shutting down,” Aedan recalls. To keep moving, Blade pivoted from cannabis-related carbon filters to an IAQ solutions provider and started building air purifiers, a move that helped them meet the new demand for clean air. Their revenue jumped from $50,000 to $1.5 million, and they became Ontario’s vendor of record for air purifiers in schools. Through each twist and turn, they held onto their goal: making air quality sustainable and accessible when it mattered most.

Can you talk about the acquisition of CleanAir.ai?

In 2023, Blade Air took an exciting step by acquiring CleanAir.ai, allowing them to expand their technology and reach a wider market. For Aedan, this acquisition was a meaningful move, marking a commitment to building for the long term. “We didn’t want to invest; we wanted to own,” he says. By bringing CleanAir.ai on board, Blade was able to strengthen its offerings and have more control over its product line in Canada. For Aedan, this was a way to double down on their promise of sustainable clean air and continue moving toward Blade’s bigger vision.

How would you say your leadership style evolved since starting the company?

Aedan’s leadership style has evolved quite a bit over the years. In Blade’s early days, he managed every expense, always aware of what was in the bank and overseeing operations. But as the company grew, he realized he needed to let go of micromanaging and start trusting his team. “Now, it’s about finding the right people and trusting them to drive forward,” he explains. Giving his team space to own their work has been a big part of Blade’s success, and Aedan sees that shift as essential for any founder who wants to build a sustainable company. Communities like Highland have also supported his growth, providing a trusted space where startup founders like himself can refine their leadership style, lean on the Northstar Operating System, and dive into resources and masterclasses that keep them on track as their companies expand. “We went from poorly scaled up startup practices to a defined system that we are continuously improving on,” says Aedan. For him, being able to evolve as a leader while accessing the support of like-minded founders has made a real difference. 

Piece of advice for Gen Z?

Aedan’s advice to Gen Z is refreshingly straightforward: “Life isn’t free, life isn’t easy.” He worries that today’s culture sometimes overlooks the reality that real success takes work. For Aedan, the path forward is through hard work and responsibility. “Just wake up, smell the roses, and contribute to society,” he says. In his experience, “uncommon results require uncommon efforts,” a truth he heard from Drew Bledsoe during a fireside chat with Scot at Highland’s Annual Summit. That statement captures a core belief for Aedan: building resilience and embracing the process is what brings long-term success. Highland’s community has reinforced this message for him, connecting him with other founders committed to pushing past limits and supporting one another’s journeys.

What’s a common misconception about your industry or business?

One of the biggest misconceptions Aedan encounters is that all air filters are basically the same. “You spend thousands on HVAC but then $10 on filters,” he points out, noting how this often leads people to underestimate the importance of high-quality air filtration. The pandemic has raised awareness about indoor air quality, but he believes there’s still a long way to go in educating people about how crucial filters are to creating healthier, safer and more sustainable spaces.

What keeps you up at night as a founder?

Managing people is one of the hardest parts of the job for Aedan. “It’s never how; it’s who,” he says, explaining that every challenge he faces seems to tie back to people. Whether it’s solving immediate problems or looking at bigger goals, Aedan is constantly thinking about how best to support and lead his team while balancing the company’s needs. The effort to keep both team morale and company objectives in sync is a big responsibility, but it’s also one of the things that drives him.

What does competition look like today? What are ways you’re looking to innovate even further to stay ahead?

Blade’s competitive landscape has changed a lot since the early days. At first, there were only a few other companies in their space, but now, Blade tracks dozens of competitors across different technologies. Rather than seeing this as a setback, Aedan sees competition as a positive. “Our competition has become our friend,” he says, explaining how they use competitors’ strengths to better position their own products. For Aedan, competition pushes Blade to keep innovating and improving, so they can stand out even in a crowded market.

If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

Reflecting on Blade’s journey, Aedan says he would be more careful with partnerships. “We’ve been burned by charlatans,” he says, recalling a few partners who overpromised and underdelivered. Offering exclusivity agreements early on was one of the toughest lessons he learned; they were costly and didn’t help Blade’s growth. “If I could pick one thing, I wouldn’t give exclusivity to anybody,” he adds. It taught him to be selective with trust—a lesson he thinks any founder can benefit from.

Favorite source for inspiration?

Aedan finds inspiration in a few books, like The 5 AM Club, Atomic Habits, and Crossing the Chasm. But one simple phrase guides him every day: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” This core principle helps him stay grounded, especially in challenging situations. For Aedan, empathy and fairness are at the heart of his leadership style, and it’s a value he believes in both as a leader and as a person.