Mildred Cano has started a new life. She's now CEO of Firefly Sensing, a TU/e spin-off seeking to revolutionize sensors that monitor the quality of products in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries. A researcher by training, Cano now ventures into the business world with the ambition to grow a company and create a product to promote sustainable production, all while fulfilling a goal she had when she started out as a researcher.
For Mildred Cano, life as CEO of start-up Firefly Sensing has started without much time to pause. From preparing for a key funding interview to promoting Firefly Sensing at a recent Food and Tech exhibition in Den Bosch, Cano has been busy to say the least.
"It's a big challenge to become a CEO because it's different from what I've done in the past," says Cano. "Until now, I focused on optics and photonic sensors. And now, I'm moving into the business world where there are different expectations and different ways of working."
A surreal feeling
Until May 15th, Cano had two roles - one as CEO of Firefly Sensing, and the other as a postdoctoral researcher in the Photonics and Semiconductor Nanophysics group with Professor Andrea Fiore at the Department of Applied Physics and Science Education.
Over the past few months, Cano had been working in both roles to help smooth the transition from the world of research to the world of business, which is the fulfilment of a dream for her.
"Since I started in research, my mission is to bring technology from the lab into the world. I wanted to create something that is real and that could contribute to something in our lives. The fact that it's happening now with Firefly Sensing is a bit surreal."
Why the name Firefly Sensing?
It's hard to argue that Firefly Sensing is not a catchy company name. But why the name Firefly Sensing? It's linked to the type of product that the company is developing, and an animal with a light connection.
"We are designing a new tiny sensor that uses light to measure the properties of liquids such as milk, beer, juices, and chemicals," says Cano. "The two main aspects of our sensor are that it is small and dynamic, and that it is based on light. Putting these together, we felt that as an animal, the firefly encapsulates both aspects perfectly. Hence, the name Firefly Sensing."
The 'we' that Cano refers to here is herself and the co-founders, which includes Andrea Fiore, who will act as scientific advisor to the company. Fiore is also involved with another animal-named spin-off from his group - MantiSpectra .
Refractive times
Among the properties of liquids like milk and beer that the sensors of Firefly Sensing will measure are concentration, temperature, and the refractive index.
And it's the refractive index of a liquid - a measure of how much light bends as it passes through a liquid - that is perhaps the most interesting for Firefly Sensing.
"For liquids like beer, milk, or juices, the higher the refractive index, the higher the sugar content," notes Cano. "And if the sugar content is off, then the liquid's quality, taste, and nutritional content are affected, which can lead to spoilt batches and large waste."
Right now, the gold-standard way to measure the refractive index of a liquid is a refractometer. "There's a hand-held version into which you place a drop of the liquid of interest. Then you look through the eyepiece of the device to estimate the refractive index of the liquid. It's sort of like looking through a kaleidoscope," says Cano. "Then there's a digital version, which also involves placing a small liquid sample in the device."
Off-line concerns
Refractometers are widely used but most are off-line devices, which presents a key limitation. "Off-line means that you need to take a small sample from the active manufacturing process and then place the sample in the refractometer," Cano says.
"Besides being time-consuming, it does not provide a real-time update of the evolving liquid properties. This can limit the relevance of the measurement for liquids that undergo rapid changes during their production."
While some digital handheld refractometers offer higher accuracy, they still rely on manual sampling. In contrast, refractometers that can be used for real-time measurements do exist, but they are often bulky and expensive. This limits their use in many industries and makes them unsuitable for small reactors, liquid handling lines, or microfluidic systems.
An in-line solution
Firefly Sensing's solution to this conundrum is to veer away from the traditional refractometer design, which is based on bulky optics, and towards a compact and cost-effective in-line sensor. But what does 'in-line' mean?
"An in-line sensor allows for real-time analysis of the liquid while it is being produced. The sensor does its job without affecting the production process, providing instant information on the properties of the liquid. There's no need to take liquid samples manually and place them in a device, or to resort to hand-held or costly, specialized devices. Our sensor has the potential to revolutionize how food and product industries control the quality of their products," says Cano.
Our sensor has the potential to revolutionize how food and product industries control the quality of their products.
Mildred Cano
The main innovation behind the sensor stems from recent developments in the group of Andrea Fiore, as he explains. "Firefly Sensing combines the positive developments from two research endeavors in my group - the first on small fiber sensors and the other on multispectral readout systems. It's taken a long time to get to this stage, several masters projects and a large group of researchers. It's great to see that after years of research, we now have a technology that works and has acted as the catalyst for Firefly Sensing."
Thinking of the end-user
So, what will the sensor that Firefly Sensing look like? "First and foremost, we will develop a device that is user-friendly and versatile. We want to make the process of using the sensor as easy as possible," notes Cano.
"The sensor itself will be less than two millimeters by two millimeters. An optical fiber will run from the sensor to a readout unit - the part that interprets the light collected by the sensor from the liquid. Our readout unit will be smaller and cheaper than other options on the market right now."
Versatility here means that a user can place the sensor anywhere they wish on an apparatus or production line. "Of course, the sensor needs to be placed on a transparent surface so that light can pass through the surface of the container and into the sensor," Fiore highlights.
Firefly Sensing in the future
Industry applications
Once ready for use, the first generation of Firefly Sensing devices will be applicable in a host of industries. "There are four huge players that we are focused on - the dairy industry, fruit juice producers, beer industry, and pharmaceutical companies," says Cano.
But what impact could such a sensor have on these four huge players in terms of saving money, time, and resources? "The opportunity to improve how these companies make their products is extremely high. Our sensor can provide real-time, non-invasive, monitoring of materials while in production. This can directly influence sustainability goals for these industries in terms of eliminating the waste of raw materials.
Firefly Sensing in 2027
By 2027, Cano and Firefly Sensing are hoping to have their second-generation sensor ready for industries and on the market.
"We also expect our team to grow, to add someone with in-depth knowledge of the chemical, food, and beverage industries, and to see large-scale implementation of our sensors in those industries," says Cano.
Diverse support
Cano, who has originally from Mexico, is quick to acknowledge that she has experienced difficulties in her career and reaching her goals. "I think to be honest, being a woman is never the easiest part. I experience a lot of imposter syndrome about fulfilling my role."
However, she noticed a significant change when she moved to the Netherlands, particularly in terms of the support structure. "When I joined Andrea's group, I noticed that I have an important role. Now, it's great to have the trust of Andrea to lead Firefly Sensing."
Being a mum makes me feel super-powerful and I want to bring that great energy to Firefly Sensing.
Mildred Cano
"When I had my now 1-year-old son Felix with my partner Mark, I felt unbeatable. Being a mum makes me feel super-powerful and I want to bring that great energy to Firefly Sensing."
"At one point though I thought that having a baby and having a 'baby' company at the same time would not be possible. The support from Andrea and from Marcella Gagliardo from The Gate have helped me to see that having my child is a motivation and not an obstacle," says Cano.
Importance of families
Cano is not only striving to build Firefly Sensing into a force in the sensor industry, she's also keen to help her two families to grow.
"At home, I've got one family. At work, I already have another family - my Firefly Sensing team. I hope to keep capturing people's attention with my energy and ambition. Hopefully people will meet us, hear about what we are doing, and think 'I want to join you and your company'."
Finally, as Cano settles into her first months as CEO of Firefly Sensing, what does it feel like to be a CEO?
"My mindset is now on change. Change how I work. Change several industries for the better. There will be challenges and it will be important to be resilient and develop resilience at the same time. I'm excited about the journey ahead. I'm excited about making a difference."
