See the Invisible
Threat.
BactiSee is a smartphone-based rapid bacterial detection system that delivers quantitative contamination results in ~5 minutes — empowering teams to make confident sanitation decisions at the point of need.
Bacterial Detection, Reimagined
BactiSee is a smartphone-based rapid bacterial detection system that integrates a reusable smartphone microscope, disposable sensing chips, and a customized mobile app — delivering quantitative bacterial counts in ~5 minutes, as simply as a COVID rapid test.
Smartphone Microscope
ReusableA compact optical imaging device that wirelessly connects to a smartphone, captures visible and detectable signals, and wirelessly transfers data for real-time analysis. Available at ~$30 from online vendors.
Disposable Detection Kit
Swab + Reagents + Detection SubstrateIncludes a surface sampling swab, assay reagents, and a chemically engineered sensing chip. The sensing chemistry selectively captures bacterial cells and enables reliable, culture-free detection within ~5 minutes.
BactiSee Mobile App
Image Processing + ReportingProcesses optical images, converts visual single bacterial signals into quantitative bacterial contamination metrics, and presents results in an intuitive, actionable format with clear guidance for sanitation decisions.
Designed for Non-Specialists
BactiSee reduces bacterial surface testing to a simple, repeatable workflow — comparable in ease to a COVID rapid test. Any food safety technician or QA worker can operate it with minimal training, making rapid sanitation verification accessible across the entire food supply chain.
~5 Minute Results
From swab collection to quantitative bacterial count in approximately 5 minutes — compared to 24–72 hours for traditional culture-based plate count methods.
Bacteria-Specific
Unlike ATP testing, BactiSee specifically detects bacterial cells — not just organic residue — providing unambiguous confirmation of microbial contamination.
No Culturing Required
Direct visualization of single bacterial cells on the sensing chip eliminates the need for laboratory incubation, making field deployment practical and immediate.
Wireless & Portable
The smartphone microscope connects wirelessly to the BactiSee app. The entire system is portable and field-ready — no laboratory infrastructure needed.
Quantitative Output
Results are expressed as bacterial cell results compared to a set baseline, providing actionable, interpretable data rather than qualitative pass/fail readings.
Complementary to ATP
Designed to work alongside existing ATP workflows as a rapid bacterial confirmation layer — strengthening sanitation decisions without replacing established procedures.
Five Steps to Clarity
BactiSee was engineered for simplicity without compromise. Any food safety technician or QA worker can operate it with minimal training — no laboratory infrastructure required.
Swab Collection
Swab the target food-contact surface or environmental area using the provided sampling swab.
Works on stainless steel, tables, utensils & moreSample Release
Release the swab into the reagent tube and mix. The solvent extracts and prepares bacterial cells for detection.
No pipetting or lab equipment requiredDrop onto Chip
Drop the prepared sample onto the sensing chip. The chip selectively captures bacterial cells for visualization.
Specific to bacteria — no food matrix interferenceSmartphone Scan
The wireless microscope scans the chip. The BactiSee app captures images and processes them automatically.
Wi-Fi connected, automatic image acquisitionQuantitative Output
Receive direct bacterial cell results compared to the set baseline, contamination risk level, and recommended action.
e.g., 'XX cells more than baseline — Action Required'Validated in the Real World
BactiSee has been rigorously tested across 29 real-world scenarios — UMass campus — demonstrating reliable, quantitative bacterial detection with strong alignment with plate count.
What BactiSee Sees
The BactiSee app captures optical images from the smartphone microscope and processes them with our custom algorithm — counting bacterial cells captured on the detection substrate and delivering a quantitative contamination report in real time.
Real-world test scenario: swab collected from the highlighted area on a stove surface.
Each bright dot represents a single bacterial cell captured by BactiSee's optical microscope. Dramatic reduction in cell count is clearly visible after sanitization.
Key Advantages
Technical Specifications
Bacteria Detected
Detects general bacterial contamination, including key foodborne pathogens:
Optical-Based Detection Platform
Where BactiSee Makes a Difference
Wherever surfaces need to be clean and safe, BactiSee delivers rapid, on-site bacterial detection — no laboratory, no waiting, no guesswork. The platform's versatility makes it applicable across a wide range of industries.
Food & Beverage
Verify surface sanitation in food processing, commercial kitchens, dining facilities, and seafood handling — before and after cleaning protocols.
Healthcare
Monitor bacterial contamination on clinical surfaces, medical devices, and patient-contact areas to support infection prevention programs.
Pharmaceutical
Support cleanroom and GMP compliance by rapidly confirming surface sterility during manufacturing and quality control workflows.
Cosmetics & Personal Care
Ensure microbial safety of production environments and packaging lines for cosmetic and personal care product manufacturing.
Agriculture & Horticulture
Monitor bacterial contamination in post-harvest handling, storage facilities, and agricultural processing environments.
Water & Environment
Assess bacterial presence on surfaces in water treatment facilities, aquaculture operations, and environmental monitoring contexts.
Institutional Facilities
Provide rapid contamination feedback for schools, universities, hotels, and public facilities to support hygiene management programs.
Inspection & Compliance
Empower regulatory inspectors and third-party auditors with on-site bacterial detection that complements existing compliance workflows.
Don't see your industry? BactiSee's platform is adaptable to any surface contamination monitoring need.
Tested in the Real World
BactiSee has been externally validated across UMass Amherst campus facilities — from dining halls to health services — with support from leading federal agencies and research institutions.
External Validation — UMass Amherst Campus
UMass Dining Services
#1 Best Campus FoodOn-site validation across campus dining facilities — testing BactiSee on food-contact surfaces before and after sanitation procedures.
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
Institutional validation confirming BactiSee's utility in health-sensitive environments with stringent hygiene requirements.
University Health Services (UHS)
Healthcare-adjacent validation demonstrating BactiSee's performance in clinical surface monitoring scenarios.
"Real food processing facilities demand real-time bacterial monitoring."
We have engaged 2 real food industry customers to test our technology in their facilities.
Want to be the next one to have more confidence in your facility regarding sanitization? Reach out to us!
Our Journey & How to Join
BactiSee is at an exciting stage — proven in the field, ready for broader deployment, and actively seeking partners who want to be part of transforming how contamination is detected.
Core technology built at UMass Amherst — sensing chemistry, smartphone microscope integration, and mobile app developed and refined.
Ongoing external validation across UMass campus facilities and commercial food industry customers — proving real-world performance.
Contact us directly to join our early pilot program. Be among the first to deploy BactiSee in your facility.
Manufactured demo units will be available for live demonstrations at your facility — see BactiSee in action before committing.
Join the Early Pilot Program
Be among the first to deploy BactiSee in your facility. We work closely with pilot partners to validate performance in your specific environment and gather feedback that shapes the product's development.
Book a Demo
We are preparing a manufactured demo unit for live demonstrations. Soon you will be able to schedule a hands-on demonstration of BactiSee at your facility — see the technology in action before committing.
Partnership & Collaboration
We welcome partnerships with industry operators, distributors, research institutions, and technology integrators. If you see a fit between your organization and BactiSee, we'd love to explore it together.
General Inquiries
Have a question about BactiSee, HertZ Innovation, or how our technology could work in your context? Reach out — we respond to every inquiry personally.
Science Meets Entrepreneurship
HertZ Innovation was built by researchers who refused to let breakthrough science stay in the lab. Our founding team combines deep technical expertise in food science and analytical chemistry with a relentless drive to bring real-world solutions to market.
Yuzhen Zhang, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & CEO
Ph.D. in Food Science, UMass Amherst (2025). Now a Postdoctoral Researcher pursuing the commercialization of BactiSee. Drives product development, validation, fundraising, and management at HertZ Innovation.
Lili He, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & President / Chief Scientific Advisor
Professor and Department Head of Food Science at UMass Amherst. Primary inventor of the core detection technology and holder of over seven patents. Provides scientific leadership and strategic direction at HertZ Innovation as President and CSO.
Guided by Industry Veterans
M.S. in Computer Science, UMass Amherst (2024). Initial developer of the BactiSee mobile application, bringing the detection system's optical analysis and results interface to life.
Member of the UMass Food Science Department Advisory Board and Past President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Connects HertZ Innovation with key industry partners and commercial channels.
Our Progress, Recognized
From national inventor honors to federal funding and media coverage, BactiSee and HertZ Innovation have earned recognition from leading institutions across academia, government, and industry.
Prof. Lili He was named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors — recognizing her successful patenting and commercialization of technologies, including BactiSee, with demonstrated societal and economic impact.
BactiSee was selected to present at the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council startup showcase, highlighting its potential to transform food safety and surface hygiene monitoring.
Boston 25 News featured BactiSee in a segment on cutting-edge food safety research at UMass Amherst, highlighting its rapid bacterial detection capability and real-world impact on reducing foodborne illness.
BactiSee was selected to present at the 18th Annual Massachusetts Life Sciences Innovation Day — a premier event connecting life sciences startups with scientific leaders, investors, and business experts across Massachusetts.
BactiSee was selected as a Marketplace Presenter at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting, one of the world's leading food safety conferences.
A Serendipitous Discovery,
A Real-World Mission
In 2018, a student's unexpected lab result set off a chain of events that would eventually become BactiSee. What started as a USDA-funded research project at UMass Amherst has grown into a company determined to put the power of a microbiology laboratory into the palm of your hand — in under 5 minutes.
"We didn't want to just publish a paper. We wanted to actually change how contamination is detected in the real world."
— Lili He
While working on a USDA-funded project to quantify bacteria in food, a student in Prof. Lili He's lab noticed something unexpected: the chemical coating they were developing had an unusual property that eliminated all the complex, costly intermediate steps in their protocol. Prof. He always told her students — "If you see something unexpected, keep looking. You might have just discovered something new." They did.
When the pandemic arrived and COVID rapid tests became part of everyday life, Prof. He saw a parallel: what if bacterial surface detection could be just as simple? The idea crystallized — combine the proprietary detection substrate with a swab and make the entire workflow as accessible as a home test kit, operable by anyone, deployable anywhere.
Yuzhen Zhang joined the lab as a Ph.D. student in 2022 and took on the challenge of transforming the concept into a working system. By her 2025 dissertation defense, BactiSee had been externally validated across 29 real-world scenarios on the UMass Amherst campus. Customer interviews and field testing revealed a clear, unmet need: operators lacked confidence in their sanitation — and existing tools gave them no real answers.
The evidence was undeniable. Prof. He, who had spent her career building a lab of seven patents, declared: "We didn't want to just publish a paper. We wanted to actually change how contamination is detected in the real world." Yuzhen, who grew up in a family business and understood the power of enterprise to create real-world impact, agreed. HertZ Innovation, Inc. was founded — backed by UMass IALS, the Technology Transfer Office, and a strong food science advisory board of industry alumni.
“To strengthen public health by making advanced contamination detection accessible at the point of need, supporting safer food, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and public facilities.”
What We Stand For
Scientific Rigor
Every claim is backed by real data. We validate in the field, not just the lab, and we report our results honestly.
Safety First
Behind every bacterial count is a person's health. We build technology that empowers operators to act with confidence.
Accessibility
Rapid bacterial testing shouldn't require a laboratory. We design BactiSee to be deployable by anyone, anywhere.
Continuous Innovation
BactiSee is the first product in a platform. We are already developing food allergy and specific pathogen detection capabilities.
Let's Work Together
Whether you're a food safety director, QA manager, researcher, or industry partner — we'd love to show you what BactiSee can do for your team.