内容来源：https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/25/this-founder-cracked-firefighting-now-hes-creating-an-ai-gold-mine/

内容总结：

科技创业者跨界革新消防行业：从高效消防喷嘴到智能应急数据平台

在消防这个自上世纪60年代以来变化甚微的传统行业，一家由材料科学博士创立的初创公司正掀起一场静默革命。HEN科技公司创始人桑尼·塞西并未将自己视为“行业颠覆者”，但其公司研发的消防喷嘴已实现灭火效率提升高达300%，同时节水67%。然而，对于塞西而言，这仅仅是故事的开始。

跨界背景催生创新灵感
塞西的职业生涯横跨纳米技术、太阳能、半导体和汽车工业，这种多元背景塑造了他“无偏见且灵活”的思维方式。2019年，当他在出差期间，妻子独自带着三岁女儿在加州面临山火撤离威胁时，妻子的一句“你需要解决这个问题，否则你不是真正的科学家”促使他决心投身消防技术领域。2020年6月，他在加州海沃德创立HEN科技公司。

从硬件突破到系统革命
依托美国国家科学基金资助，塞西团队通过计算流体动力学研究，研发出可精确控制水滴尺寸、创新管理流速并抗风干扰的消防喷嘴。但喷嘴只是塞西口中的“地面肌肉”——公司已扩展至监控器、阀门、天花喷淋系统和压力装置，并于今年推出流量控制设备“Stream IQ”和排放控制系统。

这些设备的核心在于内置定制电路板、传感器及计算模块（部分采用英伟达Orion Nano处理器），将传统硬件升级为智能互联设备。目前HEN已提交20项专利申请，其中半数已获授权。

构建消防“数据大脑”
真正的创新在于设备构成的系统。HEN平台通过在泵体安装传感器，形成喷嘴端的虚拟传感网络，实时追踪启闭状态、水流量和压力数据。系统能精确记录每次灭火的水资源使用情况、水源位置及气象条件，解决了消防现场水压波动、水源调度混乱等历史难题。

该平台已集成天气数据和GPS功能，可预警前线人员风向变化或消防车水量不足。塞西指出，这套系统正符合美国国土安全部通过NERIS计划推进的应急预测分析愿景：“但若没有高质量数据，预测分析无从谈起；而没有合适的硬件，就无法获得高质量数据。”

商业化路径与市场验证
尽管消防设备采购周期长、需兼顾终端用户需求与政府采购流程，HEN已成功打通这两个环节。自2023年第二季度产品上市以来，公司客户已覆盖1500个消防部门，营收从首年的20万美元跃升至2024年的160万美元，2025年达520万美元，预计2026年将突破2000万美元。

目前公司服务对象包括美国海军陆战队、陆军基地、NASA及阿联酋民防部门，产品销往22个国家，并通过120家分销商网络运营。近期获得美国总务管理局认证，为其进入军方和政府采购体系铺平道路。

数据资产引发资本关注
HEN在销售硬件的同时，正积累极具价值的现实世界物理数据——包括高压水流特性、灭火技术与火灾反应的动态关系等。这类极端环境下的多模态数据，正是训练人工智能物理模型和机器人系统的稀缺资源。投资机构显然看到了这一潜力：上月HEN完成2000万美元A轮融资及200万美元风险债权融资，累计融资额已超3000万美元。

塞西透露，公司计划在今年第二季度启动新一轮融资。这位跨界创业者正带领一支来自Adobe、NASA、特斯拉和苹果等公司的50人团队，将消防行业带入一个由数据和智能驱动的新时代。

中文翻译：

HEN科技公司创始人桑尼·塞西的言谈，听起来不像一位颠覆了自上世纪60年代以来几乎一成不变行业的人。他的公司生产消防水枪——具体来说，是那种号称能将灭火效率提升300%同时节水67%的水枪。但塞西对这一成就态度平淡，他更关注未来而非过往。而他的未来蓝图，显然远比消防水枪更为宏大。

塞西的消防事业之路并非标准叙事。在阿克伦大学获得表面与粘附研究博士学位后，他创立了ADAP纳米技术公司，开发基于碳纳米管的技术组合，并获得了美国空军研究实验室的资助。随后在SunPower公司，他致力于叠瓦式光伏组件的新材料与工艺研发。后来加入TE Connectivity公司时，他专注于新型粘合剂配方设备，以加速汽车行业制造流程。

转机源于妻子的挑战。2013年，夫妇俩从俄亥俄州迁居旧金山外的东湾地区。几年后托马斯山火爆发——他们原以为这将是此生仅见的特大火灾。但随后坎普山火、纳帕-索诺玛火灾接踵而至。2019年成为转折点：疏散警报响起时塞西正在出差，妻子独自带着三岁女儿留守家中，身边没有亲友，随时可能接到撤离指令。"她当时非常生气，"塞西回忆道，"她说：'你必须解决这个问题，否则就不配称为真正的科学家。'"

纳米技术、太阳能、半导体和汽车行业的跨界背景，使塞西形成了"无偏见且灵活"的思维方式。见识过众多行业与各类难题后，他决心迎接这个挑战。

2020年6月，他在邻近的海沃德市创立了HEN科技公司（取自高效喷嘴英文首字母）。凭借美国国家科学基金会的资助，他开展了计算流体动力学研究，分析水流灭火机理及风力影响。最终研发出能精准控制液滴尺寸、创新调节流速且抗风干扰的消防水枪。

通过Zoom会议展示的对比视频中，效果差异令人震撼。塞西指出，在相同流量下，传统水枪水流分散，而HEN产品能保持集束喷射。

但这只是起点——塞西称之为"地面肌肉系统"。如今HEN已将业务拓展至监控器、阀门、顶置喷淋头和压力装置，今年还将推出流量控制设备（"Stream IQ"）与排放控制系统。据塞西介绍，每台设备都配备定制电路板，集成传感器与计算单元——23种不同设计将传统硬件升级为智能互联设备，部分甚至采用英伟达Orion Nano处理器驱动。目前HEN已提交20项专利申请，其中半数获得授权。

真正的创新在于这些设备构建的系统。HEN平台通过泵体传感器充当水枪虚拟传感单元，精确追踪启闭时间、水流量与压力需求。系统能完整记录单次火灾的用水量、使用方式、消防栓位置及气象条件。

其重要性在于：消防部门常因供水方与灭火人员信息脱节而面临断水危机。帕利塞德火灾和数十年前的奥克兰火灾都曾发生此类状况。当两辆消防车共用同一消防栓时，压力波动可能导致其中一辆在火势蔓延时突然断水。在美国乡村地区，从远距离运水的罐车更面临物流噩梦。若能通过用水数据与公共监控系统整合优化资源配置，将是重大突破。

为此HEN构建了包含应用层的云平台，塞西将其类比为Adobe的云基础设施架构。系统为消防队长、大队长和事故指挥官提供定制化模块，集成气象数据与全设备GPS定位，能预警风向变化提醒前线人员转移设备，或提示特定消防车即将断水。

美国国土安全部正通过NERIS计划寻求此类系统，旨在为应急行动提供预测分析。"但缺乏高质量数据就无法实现预测分析，"塞西强调，"而没有合适的硬件就得不到高质量数据。"

HEN目前尚未对数据变现，正着力部署数据节点，尽可能扩大设备覆盖范围，构建数据管道与数据库。塞西透露明年将启动内置智能应用层的商业化进程。

相较于构建应急响应预测平台的挑战，塞西认为实际销售更为艰难，而HEN在该领域的进展最令他自豪。

"创业最大难点在于市场特性：说服客户购买是B2C模式，但采购周期却是B2B流程，"他解释道，"因此产品必须打动终端用户，同时还要适应政府采购周期，我们成功攻克了这两大难关。"

数据印证了这一点：2023年第二季度产品上市即获得10个消防部门采购，创收20万美元。随后口碑扩散，2024年收入跃升至160万美元，去年达520万美元。目前拥有1500家消防部门客户的HEN，今年营收预计将突破2000万美元。

当然HEN面临竞争。上市公司IDEX Corp销售软管、水枪和监控器；Central Square等软件公司服务消防部门；为公共安全机构提供软件的迈阿密公司First Due去年8月更获得3.55亿美元巨额融资。但塞西坚信："没有公司完全复制我们的发展路径。"

塞西指出当前限制因素并非需求，而是扩张速度。HEN的服务对象包括海军陆战队、美国陆军基地、海军原子实验室、NASA、阿布扎比民防局，产品销往22个国家，通过120家分销商运营，历经一年审查后近期更获得GSA认证（联邦批准标志，便于军政机构采购）。

全国20万辆消防车每年约有2万辆更新换代，因此获得资质认证意味着持续收益（这是核心理念）。由于硬件持续产生数据，即使在采购间隙期也能创造收入。

双重目标需要特殊团队支撑。HEN的软件负责人曾是帮助构建Adobe云基础设施的高级总监，50人团队中还包括前NASA工程师及来自特斯拉、苹果、微软的资深人士。"如果问我技术细节，我无法全部解答，"塞西笑着承认，"但卓越的团队是我们的幸运所在。"

软件领域的发展尤其值得关注：当HEN销售水枪时，他们同时在积累更宝贵的资产——数据。关于压力下水流特性、流量与材料相互作用、灭火技术响应机制、真实火场物理规律的高度特异性现实数据。

这正是构建所谓"世界模型"的企业所需的核心资源。这些通过模拟物理环境预测未来状态的AI系统，需要极端条件下物理系统产生的真实多模态数据。仅靠模拟无法教会AI物理规律，而HEN的每次部署都在收集这类珍贵数据。

塞西虽未详述，但他清楚手中资产的价值。训练机器人和预测物理引擎的企业，会为这类真实物理数据付出高昂代价。

投资者也洞察此点。上月HEN完成2000万美元A轮融资，另从硅谷银行获得200万美元风险债权。本轮由奥尼尔战略资本领投，NSFO、Tanas资本和z21风投跟投，使公司总融资额超过3000万美元。

与此同时，塞西已展望更远的未来。他透露公司将在今年第二季度启动新一轮融资。

英文来源：

Sunny Sethi, founder of HEN Technologies, doesn’t sound like someone who’s disrupted an industry that has remained largely unchanged since the 1960s. His company builds fire nozzles — specifically, nozzles that it says increase suppression rates by up to 300% while conserving 67% of water. But Sethi is matter-of-fact about this achievement, more focused on what’s next than what’s already been done. And what’s next sounds a lot bigger than fire nozzles.
His path to firefighting doesn’t follow a tidy narrative. After nabbing his PhD at the University of Akron, where he researched surfaces and adhesion, he founded ADAP Nanotech, an outfit that developed a carbon nanotube-based portfolio and won Air Force Research Lab grants. Next, at SunPower, he developed new materials and processes for shingled photovoltaic modules. When he landed next at a company called TE Connectivity, he worked on devices with new adhesive formulations to enable faster manufacturing in the automotive industry.
Then came a challenge from his wife. The two had moved from Ohio to the East Bay outside San Francisco in 2013. A few years later came the Thomas Fire — the only megafire they’d ever see, they thought. Then came the Camp Fire, then the Napa-Sonoma fires. The breaking point came in 2019. Sethi was traveling during evacuation warnings while his wife was home alone with their then three-year-old daughter, no family nearby, facing a potential evacuation order. “She was really mad at me,” Sethi recalls. “She’s like, ‘Dude, you need to fix this, otherwise you’re not a real scientist.’”
A background spanning nanotechnology, solar, semiconductors, and automotive had made his thinking “bias free and flexible,” as he puts it. He’d seen so many industries, so many different problems. Why not try to fix the problem?
In June 2020, he founded HEN Technologies (for high-efficiency nozzles) in nearby Hayward. With National Science Foundation funding, he conducted computational fluid dynamics research, analyzing how water suppresses fire and how wind affects it. The result: a nozzle that controls droplet size precisely, manages velocity in new ways, and resists wind.
In HEN’s comparison video, which Sethi shows me over a Zoom call, the difference is stark. It’s the same flow rate, he says, but HEN’s pattern and velocity control keep the stream coherent while traditional nozzles disperse.
But the nozzle is just the beginning — what Sethi calls “the muscle on the ground.” HEN has since expanded into monitors, valves, overhead sprinklers, and pressure devices, and is launching a flow-control device (“Stream IQ”) and discharge control systems this year. According to Sethi, each device contains custom-designed circuit boards with sensors and computing power — 23 different designs that turn dumb hardware into smart, connected equipment, some powered by Nvidia Orion Nano processors. Altogether, says Sethi, HEN has filed 20 patent applications with half a dozen granted so far.
Disrupt 2026 Tickets: One-time offer
Tickets are live! Save up to $680 while these rates last, and be among the first 500 registrants to get 50% off your +1 pass. TechCrunch Disrupt brings top leaders from Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, a16z, Hugging Face, and more to 250+ sessions designed to fuel growth and sharpen your edge. Connect with hundreds of innovative startups and join curated networking that drives deals, insights, and inspiration.
Disrupt 2026 Tickets: One-time offer
Tickets are live! Save up to $680 while these rates last, and be among the first 500 registrants to get 50% off your +1 pass. TechCrunch Disrupt brings top leaders from Google Cloud, Netflix, Microsoft, Box, a16z, Hugging Face, and more to 250+ sessions designed to fuel growth and sharpen your edge. Connect with hundreds of innovative startups and join curated networking that drives deals, insights, and inspiration.
The real innovation is the system these devices create. HEN’s platform uses sensors at the pump to act as a virtual sensor in the nozzle, tracking exactly when it’s on, how much water flows, and what pressure is required. The system captures precisely how much water was used for a given fire, how it was used, which hydrant was tapped, and what the weather conditions were.
Why it matters: Fire departments can run out of water otherwise, because there’s no communication between water suppliers and firefighters. It happened in the Palisades Fire. It happened in the Oakland Fire decades earlier. When two engines are connected to one hydrant, pressure variations can mean that one engine suddenly gets nothing as a fire continues to grow. In rural America, water tenders, which are tankers shuttling water from distant sources, face their own logistical nightmares. If they can integrate water usage calculations with their own utility monitoring systems to optimize resource allocation, that’s a giant win.
So HEN built a cloud platform with application layers, which Sethi likens to what Adobe did with cloud infrastructure. Think Individual à la carte systems for fire captains, battalion chiefs, and incident commanders. HEN’s system has weather data; it has GPS in all devices. It can warn those on the front lines that the wind is about to shift and they’d better move their engines, or that a particular fire truck is running out of water.
The Department of Homeland Security has been asking for exactly this kind of system through its NERIS program, which is an initiative to bring predictive analytics to emergency operations. “But you can’t have [predictive analytics] unless you have good quality data,” Sethi notes. “You can’t have good quality data unless you have the right hardware.”
HEN isn’t monetizing that data yet. It’s implementing data nodes, putting devices in as many systems as possible, building the data pipeline, creating the data lake. Next year, says Sethi, it will start commercializing the application layer with its built-in intelligence.
If building a predictive analytics platform for emergency response sounds daunting, Sethi says actually selling it is tougher, and he’s proudest of HEN’s traction on that front.
“The hardest part of building this company is that this market is tough because it’s a B2C play when you think of convincing the customers to buy, but the procurement cycle is B2B,” he explains. “So you have to really make a product that resonates with people — with the end user — but you still have to go through government purchasing cycles, and we have cracked both of those.”
The numbers bear this out. HEN launched its first products into the market in the second quarter of 2023, lining up 10 fire departments and generating $200,000 in revenue. Then word started to spread. Revenue hit $1.6 million in 2024, then $5.2 million last year. This year, Hen, which currently has 1,500 fire department customers, is projecting $20 million in revenue.
HEN has competition, of course. IDEX Corp, a public company, sells hoses, nozzles, and monitors. Software companies like Central Square serve fire departments. A Miami company, First Due, which sells software to public safety agencies, announced a massive $355 million round last August. But no company is “doing exactly what we are trying to do,” insists Sethi.
Still, Sethi says that the constraint isn’t demand — it’s scaling fast enough. HEN serves the Marine Corps, US Army bases, Naval atomic labs, NASA, Abu Dhabi Civil Defense, and ships to 22 countries. It works through 120 distributors and recently qualified for GSA after a year-long vetting process (that’s a federal seal of approval that makes it easier for military and government agencies to buy).
Fire departments buy about 20,000 new engines each year to replace aging equipment in a national fleet of 200,000, so once HEN is qualified, it becomes recurring revenue (is the idea), and because the hardware generates data, revenue continues between purchase cycles.
HEN’s dual goal has required building a very specific team. Its software lead was formerly a senior director who helped build Adobe’s cloud infrastructure. Other members of HEN’s 50-person team include a former NASA engineer and veterans from Tesla, Apple, and Microsoft. “If you ask me technical questions, I would not be able to answer everything,” Sethi admits with a laugh, “but I have such good teams that [it] has been a blessing.”
Indeed, it’s the software that hints at where this gets interesting, because while HEN is selling nozzles, it’s amassing something more valuable: data. Highly specific, real-world data about how water behaves under pressure, how flow rates interact with materials, how fire responds to suppression techniques, how physics works in active fire environments.
It’s exactly what companies building so-called world models need. These AI systems that construct simulated representations of physical environments to predict future states require real-world, multimodal data from physical systems under extreme conditions. You can’t teach AI about physics through simulations alone. You need what HEN collects with every deployment.
Sethi won’t elaborate, but he knows what he’s sitting on. Companies training robotics and predictive physics engines would pay handsomely for this kind of real-world physics data.
Investors see it, too. Last month, HEN closed a $20 million Series A round, plus $2 million in venture debt from Silicon Valley Bank. O’Neil Strategic Capital led the financing, with NSFO, Tanas Capital, and z21 Ventures participating. The round brought the company’s total funding to more than $30 million.
Sethi, meanwhile, is already looking ahead. He says the company will return to fundraising in the second quarter of this year.