This entrepreneur revolutionized firefighting — and is now building a fortune with AI

Revolutionizing Firefighting: The Story of HEN Technologies

Sunny Sethi, the mind behind HEN Technologies, is quietly transforming an industry that has seen little change since the 1960s. His company specializes in advanced fire nozzles, claiming to boost fire suppression efficiency by up to 300% while using 67% less water. Despite these impressive results, Sethi remains focused on future innovations that extend far beyond just nozzles.

A Nonlinear Path to Innovation

Sethi’s journey to fire safety innovation is anything but conventional. After earning a PhD from the University of Akron, where he studied surfaces and adhesion, he launched ADAP Nanotech, a company that developed carbon nanotube technologies and secured grants from the Air Force Research Lab. He later contributed to SunPower, working on materials for solar modules, and then moved to TE Connectivity, where he helped develop adhesives to speed up automotive manufacturing.

Personal Motivation Sparks Change

The turning point came after Sethi and his wife relocated from Ohio to the East Bay near San Francisco in 2013. They experienced a series of devastating wildfires, culminating in a particularly stressful incident in 2019 when Sethi was away during evacuation warnings, leaving his wife and young daughter alone. His wife challenged him to use his scientific expertise to address the growing wildfire crisis.

Applying Diverse Expertise

With a background spanning nanotech, solar, semiconductors, and automotive engineering, Sethi felt equipped to tackle the problem with a fresh perspective. In June 2020, he established HEN Technologies (short for high-efficiency nozzles) in Hayward, California. Supported by National Science Foundation funding, he delved into computational fluid dynamics to better understand how water and wind interact during firefighting. The outcome was a nozzle capable of precisely controlling droplet size and velocity, while remaining effective in windy conditions.

Beyond Nozzles: Building a Smart Firefighting Ecosystem

HEN’s innovations didn’t stop at nozzles. The company has since developed monitors, valves, overhead sprinklers, and pressure devices, and is preparing to launch new products like the “Stream IQ” flow-control device and advanced discharge control systems. Each device features custom circuit boards with sensors and computing capabilities—23 unique designs in total—some powered by Nvidia Orion Nano processors. HEN has already filed 20 patent applications, with several granted.

Transforming Fire Response with Data

The true breakthrough lies in the interconnected system HEN is building. Their platform uses sensors at the pump to act as virtual sensors in the nozzle, tracking usage, water flow, and pressure in real time. This allows for detailed records of water consumption, hydrant usage, and environmental conditions during each fire event.

Addressing Critical Challenges in Firefighting

Fire departments often face water shortages due to a lack of communication between water suppliers and firefighters—a problem that has led to major incidents in the past. HEN’s system enables integration with utility monitoring, helping optimize water allocation and prevent resource shortages, especially in rural areas where water delivery is complex.

Cloud-Based Command and Real-Time Insights

HEN has developed a cloud platform with application layers tailored for fire captains, battalion chiefs, and incident commanders. The system incorporates weather data and GPS tracking, providing frontline teams with timely alerts about changing wind conditions or low water levels in fire trucks. Sethi compares this approach to Adobe’s cloud infrastructure, offering modular solutions for different roles.

Meeting Industry Needs and Government Standards

The Department of Homeland Security has called for predictive analytics in emergency response through its NERIS program. Sethi emphasizes that high-quality data—and the right hardware to collect it—are essential for effective analytics.

Building the Data Foundation

Currently, HEN is focused on deploying its devices widely to build a robust data infrastructure. The company plans to begin monetizing its intelligent application layer next year, leveraging the data collected from its expanding network.

Overcoming Market Hurdles

While developing a predictive analytics platform for emergency services is challenging, Sethi finds that selling it is even more so. He notes that the market requires products that appeal directly to end users, yet must also navigate lengthy government procurement processes. HEN has managed to succeed on both fronts.

Rapid Growth and Market Impact

HEN introduced its first products in the second quarter of 2023, quickly partnering with 10 fire departments and generating $200,000 in revenue. The company’s growth accelerated, reaching $1.6 million in 2024 and $5.2 million the following year. With 1,500 fire department clients, HEN projects $20 million in revenue this year.

Competition and Scaling Challenges

While competitors like IDEX Corp and software providers such as Central Square and First Due exist, Sethi asserts that no one else is offering the same integrated solution. The main challenge for HEN is scaling to meet demand. The company serves clients including the Marine Corps, US Army bases, NASA, and Abu Dhabi Civil Defense, distributing products through 120 partners and recently securing GSA approval for easier government procurement.

Recurring Revenue and Data-Driven Value

With fire departments replacing around 20,000 engines annually in a national fleet of 200,000, HEN’s qualification for these purchases promises recurring revenue. The data generated by their hardware ensures ongoing value between sales cycles.

Building a World-Class Team

To achieve its ambitious goals, HEN has assembled a specialized team, including a former senior director from Adobe’s cloud division, a NASA engineer, and veterans from Tesla, Apple, and Microsoft. Sethi credits the company’s success to the strength and expertise of his team.

The Hidden Value: Real-World Data for AI

While HEN’s products are transforming firefighting, the company is also amassing a unique dataset on water dynamics, material interactions, and fire suppression in real-world conditions. This data is invaluable for companies developing AI models that require real-world, multimodal data to accurately simulate and predict physical environments—something that can’t be achieved through simulations alone.

Investor Confidence and Future Plans

Investors recognize the potential. Last month, HEN secured $20 million in Series A funding, along with $2 million in venture debt, bringing total investment to over $30 million. O’Neil Strategic Capital led the round, with participation from NSFO, Tanas Capital, and z21 Ventures.

Looking ahead, Sethi plans to initiate another fundraising round in the second quarter of this year, continuing HEN’s mission to redefine fire defense technology.