AirPhysio started in a shed out of the back of Wayne Daley’s house as an idea and had now grown into an international business which has started exporting into seven countries throughout Asia including China.

Paul O’Brien Managing Director of AirPhysio said “Being Shortlisted for this prestigious award means the world to the company and our distribution partners, it is very humbling to think that a small business like ours has become recognised for this award.”

AirPhysio started designing our respiratory therapy device back in August 2015 and launched the commercialisation process 12 months later by traveling around Australia with the Asthma Australia Symposium, visiting seven capital cities in seven states and territories in October last year.

The device was well received and since then the business has only grown as they have partnered with some very prospective distribution partners who have seen great potential for the product not only in Australia in hospitals, aged care faculties and pharmacies channels, but also in other countries.

In May this year, AirPhysio travelled to Yiwu in China to exhibit and present at the 3rd largest commodity and trade fair in the country and the response was overwhelming from the Chinese.

Paul O’Brien quoted “We were invited to present the AirPhysio device to around 60 potential distributors, after finishing the presentation and leaving the stage, we were literally swamped by 10 to 15 of these distributors handing out their cards and asking for samples”.

After finishing the presentation and returning to the stand, they returned to find out that they had received the prestigious “Best Product” award for the fair over 3,500 local and international exhibitors from 100 countries.

 “This was truly unbelievable and we had to pinch ourselves as we questioned that it was actually the Best Product Award for the fair and not something else.” said Paul.

AirPhysio returned to China at the end of September to attend the largest Commodity and trade fair in Xiamen, China and have only since returned back to Australia.

They applied for the Chinese FDA for the device so that they can start selling into hospitals and pharmacies in China which is a massive market because of the issues related to pollution and the issues which this is causing with respiratory health.

It was in the last days of the fair that they were notified of being shortlisted for the Optus MyBusiness awards.

Paul O’Brien said “This was a very humbling and an amazing feeling to know that we had been recognised by such a long standing and prestigious award.”

This award also gives AirPhysio local recognition which is helps for brand recognition in Australia which is also important for marketing and selling their product overseas.

The device offers huge potential for sales in countries like China and India, but they also want to give back to the community.

The device is designed to help people with conditions like Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and so they partnered with Asthma Australia in January last year to give back to the Asthma community and are working with the Lung Foundation towards doing something similar.

AirPhysio is also raising funds through a crowd funding campaign, where the money raised will go towards helping to donate devices to the less fortunate and needy through a number of associations who they are already in talks with.

From a local home-based Inverell business which started 2 years ago with a dream to help people with respiratory conditions, the owners can hardly believe where we are now, or what the business could be in the next 6 to 12 months.