53-year-old retrenched Singaporean dad launches indoor air quality company after his toddler kept falling sick

SINGAPORE: A 53-year-old Singaporean dad, Jay Choy, who had worked for 26 years at a Japanese multinational company, was retrenched in December 2022, with no job in sight.

Around the same time, his 15-month-old son, Jayson, had just started infant care and was often unwell with high fever and a runny nose. Little did he know that looking for something more sustainable for his son’s health than just relying on medication would lead to the launch of his own company.

Mr Choy then remembered an air purification technology he had previously promoted in his former job, called BioZone Photoplasma™. After installing the unit in his son’s room, he said “the air felt noticeably fresher within days”, and his son’s symptoms began to ease. Over the next month, his son’s health gradually improved.

Motivated by his own experience, Mr Choy started reviewing lab reports, real-world studies, and client testimonials about indoor air quality. By February 2023, he had set up FJ SafeSpace Pte Ltd—a business focused on improving indoor air quality in homes, schools, offices, and industrial spaces.

The company offers complimentary indoor air quality audits using uHoo advanced air sensors, which are certified by the Singapore Green Building Council. They also benchmark clients’ indoor environments against Green Mark 2021, an internationally recognised green building certification scheme tailored for the tropical climate. In addition, they provide solutions using BioZone Photoplasma™ technology to deal with viruses, bacteria, fine dust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and odours.

Since its launch, the company has conducted over 140 indoor air quality audits, working with families, childcare centres, offices, F&B outlets, and industrial sites. Mr Choy, who shares audit results (with consent) on LinkedIn to raise public awareness, found this often led to referrals and client collaborations.

One success story was when printing and packaging company KPP Packaging faced lingering food smells and frequent staff sick days in their office. After working with FJ SafeSpace, the company reported fewer sick days among staff and improved productivity. They later added more units on the production floor.

In early 2025, Mr Choy enrolled in the Corporate Environment & Sustainability Executive Programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He had already completed the Green Mark Associate course by the Singapore Green Building Council in 2023.

His wife, who works in finance, has been a steady support throughout the journey, while their son, Jayson, remains his daily reminder of why the work matters.

Mr Choy said, “I want all children to grow up in a world where clean air is the norm, not a luxury. That means protecting both the spaces we live in and the planet we live on.” /TISG 

Read also: Singapore women entrepreneurs find global success through Amazon Global Selling