Sunny Sethi, the founder of HEN Technologies, is shaking up an industry that has seen little change since the 1960s. His company makes innovative fire nozzles that improve fire suppression rates by up to 300% while using 67% less water. But for Sethi, it’s not just about nozzles; he has bigger goals in mind.
Sethi’s journey to HEN is anything but ordinary. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Akron, where he studied surfaces and adhesion. His first company, ADAP Nanotech, developed carbon nanotube technologies and secured grants from the Air Force. Later, he worked with SunPower on solar technology and then at TE Connectivity, focusing on new adhesive formulas for faster automotive manufacturing.
The turning point came after Sethi and his family moved to the East Bay near San Francisco in 2013. After facing a series of devastating wildfires, he felt compelled to act. In 2019, while on a trip during an evacuation warning, his wife urged him to make a difference. “You’re a scientist; fix this,” she said. It lit a fire in him (pun intended).
In June 2020, Sethi launched HEN Technologies in Hayward. With support from the National Science Foundation, he studied how water suppresses fire and how wind affects it. This research led to a nozzle design that controls water droplet size and flow, significantly enhancing fire response.
What sets HEN apart is not just the nozzle but the entire system developed around it. The company has expanded its product range to include monitors, valves, and smart devices powered by advanced processors. Each piece of equipment is equipped with sensors that track water usage, pressure, and other critical data. This level of integration can help fire departments manage resources better, especially in emergencies.
Why does this matter? Firefighters often struggle with water supply during critical moments. Past incidents, like the Palisades and Oakland fires, showed how dangerous it can be when communication fails between water suppliers and firefighters. HEN’s system bridges this gap, providing real-time data to ensure that fire engines have the resources they need.
Sethi’s vision goes even further. He’s built a cloud platform that offers various applications, which can help fire captains and incident commanders make informed decisions. Weather data and GPS in devices mean that firefighters can adjust strategies based on real-time conditions.
The Department of Homeland Security supports such initiatives through its NERIS program, aimed at leveraging data for emergency operations. Sethi emphasizes the importance of quality data, stating, “You can’t have predictive analytics without good data.”
Although HEN isn’t monetizing its data just yet, it’s building a solid foundation to do so in the future. The company has already made remarkable strides. Since launching in early 2023, HEN has generated over $5 million in revenue and serves 1,500 fire departments.
HEN faces competition but claims no one is doing exactly what they are. Other companies sell hoses and software, but HEN’s blend of hardware and intelligent systems offers a unique solution. The growing demand in the fire department sector—with about 20,000 new fire engines bought each year—presents a lucrative opportunity for HEN.
There’s also an intriguing side benefit: the data HEN gathers on water behavior and fire dynamics. This information could be invaluable for companies developing artificial intelligence systems. Real-world data is essential for training AI models, giving HEN an edge that could attract interest from tech firms.
Investors are catching on. Recently, HEN closed a funding round of $20 million, bringing its total to over $30 million. Sethi’s looking ahead, planning to return to fundraising soon.
As Sethi continues to innovate in firefighting technology, he remains focused on the bigger picture. He’s not just creating products—he’s building a smarter, data-driven future for emergency response.
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firefighting,HEN Technologies,O’Neil Strategic Capital,Tanas Capital
