Faces of Technology
A Colorful Solution to an
Invisible Problem
It’s one thing to have a great idea. It’s
another when that great idea goes on to win
hundreds of thousands of dollars in innovative
business venture competitions such as the
Innovation Concourse of the Southeast, Mega
Watt Ventures and other programs from the
Department of Energy.
That great idea is color-changing pigment
materials used to detect hydrogen gas leaks.
The brainchild of a team of researchers from the
University of Central Florida (UCF) and NASAKSC, the technology is the basis for HySense
Technology, based in Rockledge and founded
by Nahid Mohajeri, a member of the research
team. The pigment is applied to a tape that
can be wrapped around gas pipes in areas
prone to leaks, and it changes color when
Nahid Mohajeri, Ph.D.
hydrogen (or other colorless and odorless gases
difficult to detect) escapes. As a relatively new
company, the prize money from the business
Founder/CEO |HySense Technology LLC,
www.hysensetechnology.com
competitions was a tremendous help in scaling
up the technology, hiring a lab technician,
Education: Ph.D. in Chemistry, Florida Institute of Technology
fulfilling customer orders and developing new
Company: Based in Rockledge, HySense Technology LLC
manufactures color-changing (chemochromic) pigments
for gas leak detection for the power generation,
aerospace, chemical, energy and gas industries.
technology to add to the HySense portfolio.
Though already an entrepreneurial
businesswoman, Mohajeri is a chemist by trade.
Previous work at UCF led her to her current
position and while she still enjoys hands-on
During undergraduate school years, she studied chemical engineering and
research in the lab, her latest discovery has
finally landed on chemistry as a graduate student, with a desire to explore
been the enjoyment of running a company.
more of the science behind her previous education. She found her engineering
She credits her ability to navigate the business
and chemistry background work hand-in-hand to envision the science and
climate and achieve such quick success to
application of the work that she does today.
great mentors through the UCF Venture Lab
and in her graduate studies. Leaving the lab
“Looking into the near future, I see hydrogen as a more common fuel source,”
coat behind on occasion has been a welcome
said Mohajeri. “But as the use increases, the market will call for better monitoring
change.
and preventative methods in handling, storing and consuming the gas. HySense
can help fulfill that call as current methods include electronic devices that are
Mohajeri doesn’t think much of her recent shift
not efficient in finding the exact location of the leak.”
in focus since she describes herself as having
a multitude of interests. As a young child she
Until then, Mohajeri takes her company’s growth one day at a time and enjoys
wanted to be a farmer or agricultural engineer.
learning through new challenges that come along the way.
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