The agtech industry is a fast-expanding industry that uses science and innovation to improve all aspects of the agriculture supply chain, from cultivation to post-harvest handling. With heightening global concerns regarding food security, climate change, and resource optimization, agtech has a crucial role in creating sustainable solutions to mitigate waste, enhance production, and improve produce quality. One critical sub-sector is post-harvest technology, which emphasizes prolonging the freshness and shelf life of fruits, vegetables, and other perishable produce. Through the integration of chemistry, biotechnology, and data-driven approaches, firms in this space assist farmers, distributors, and retailers in reducing loss, optimizing profitability, and getting more food to consumers in the best possible state. Dr. Aidan Mouat is the co-founder of Hazel Technologies, a Chicago agriscience firm that combines chemistry and sustainability to fight global food waste. Holding a Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern University, Aidan applies profound scientific knowledge to real-world, scalable solutions. As the inventor of Hazel’s revolutionary products, he combines a lifelong interest in agriculture with cutting-edge research, advocating innovations that prolong the shelf life of fresh produce and maintain food quality globally.

From Research Breakthroughs to Startup Brilliance: How a Ph.D. Project Ignited the Founding of Hazel Technologies

Aidan’s entrepreneurial journey started in the realm of academia. His doctoral study at Northwestern University focused on organic, organometallic, and inorganic chemistry, and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), catalysis with solid or reactive catalysts, gaseous reactions, and spectroscopy. These advanced, highly technical disciplines later formed the foundation of Hazel Technologies’ scientific innovations. “My Ph.D. work was in relevant fields,” Aidan explains, “and me and a colleague decided to invent a gaseous emission product to reduce ethylene sensitivity in harvested produce and improve shelf life and freshness during storage.” His vision was clear from the start: to use science not only to understand problems but to solve them at scale.

The seed for Hazel Technologies was sown while Aidan was in the NUVention program at Northwestern—a multidisciplinary program that instills entrepreneurial principles. “We learned how to raise money, create business architecture, and go from the outset of an enterprise to expansion beyond expectation,” he remembers. Hazel’s core technology revolves around managing ethylene sensitivity in fruit and vegetables. “It’s about ethylene resistance, atmospheric response control and enhancement, resistance to biological and fungal pest classes, and enhancement of postharvest quality and shelf life,” Aidan describes. “As shelf life, freshness, and product quality are enhanced, so too are marketability and success.”

A Shift from Growing Gardens to Growing a Business: Aidan Mouat’s Personal Experience with Agriculture and the Challenge of Scaling Hazel Technologies

Aidan’s connection to agriculture isn’t just academic—it’s personal. “I was instructed in gardening and growing fruits, vegetables, and other types of crops by my mother from the time I was a young child,” he remembers. This early introduction to cultivating and caring for food established the emotional and experiential foundation for his later endeavors. His passion for food was further enhanced by his culinary heritage. “I was brought up cooking – I am a fairly good one if I do say so myself,” he quips, noting that his father’s Chilean heritage instilled in him a world perspective on food, viewing it not only as fuel but as an integral aspect of culture, identity, and community.

But as Aidan moved from passion to business with Hazel Technologies, his path wasn’t without challenges. Developing the company into a growth business involved various challenges. Team-building was one of the major challenges. “Hiring the right workers for key pieces of the growth plan was overcome by reading resumes, conducting tons and tons of interviews, and selecting the top people based on the comprehensiveness of the growth plan,” he says. Another challenge was managing the technical infrastructure, specifically in terms of finding the right vendors, acquiring top-of-the-line equipment, and dealing with pricing. But Aidan was adequately prepared. “I have a huge amount of experience from work and graduate school, doing all those processes and assembling a great deal of equipment!”

Strategic Vision for Growth: Aidan Mouat’s Path to Balancing Innovation, Advisory Inputs, and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Aidan’s entrepreneurial experience has been shaped not only by his direct involvement in Hazel Technologies but also through advisory assignments with other startups. Such experiences have endowed him with an informed understanding of what makes the difference between success and failure at various stages of growth. “Any new idea starts with a 50% chance of success and a 50% chance of failure,” he points out, adding that it’s the detail that changes the outcome. From market demand to execution, Aidan is convinced of breaking down every detail to improve the chances of success. “I have learned a lot about where companies are at different stages of their growth process. What helps, what hurts, and what is meaningless.”

As co-founder of Hazel Technologies, Aidan wears multiple hats—product development, business strategy, and fundraising. His role demands both visionary thinking and a focus on precision. “As the saying goes, the devil is in the details,” he explains. His meticulous attention to data, asset quality, and market performance fuels his innovative approach. Aidan’s conviction is plain but potent: “Infrastructure can be developed from nothing to the optimum set of conditions if you disregard existing procedures with inferior quality or worthlessness.” From testing out new concepts to securing funding, he approaches every obstacle with strategic vision and unshakeable resolve, intent on extending the limits of the possible.

Forging the Future of AgTech: Aidan Mouat’s Vision for Sustainability and Legacy of Innovation

Aidan’s vision for agtech’s future is based on harvest quality, but also environmental resilience and farm productivity. He points to one particularly thrilling innovation: a type of grass that enters dormancy during harvest times but rejuvenates during periods of dormancy, such as winter. This two-for-one planting enriches the soil, enhances pest resistance, and aids climate adaptation, presenting a win-win for farmers and the planet alike.

His path, from nurturing home gardens as a kid to working in Northwestern’s labs and guiding Hazel Technologies at the vanguard of sustainable agriculture, demonstrates his passion for merging passion, precision, and purpose. Through his scientific achievements, Aidan continues to mold the destiny of food, fueling meaningful change for agriculture and the environment.

Advice to Future Scientist-Entrepreneurs: Translating Discovery into Impact

Aidan provides valuable tips to young researchers keen to explore entrepreneurship. He stresses that research is a process, saying, “Finding a breakthrough or getting a major publication is just the start—it’s not the end of the story.” He points out that moving from academic research to entrepreneurship involves a change in mindset. “Entrepreneurship involves not only scientific investigation, but also market research, cost analysis, and determining product feasibility,” says Aidan. “It’s a different kind of research—one that’s about discovering ideas that can be sold in the market, determining the viability of production, and testing if it’s feasible to do business. Being able to move from one type of research to another is an important advancement for the scientific mind. In essence, your mindset as an experimentalist evolves as it diversifies, but remains exactly that: conducting experiments.”

Aidan has embarked on an exciting new venture—launching an IndieGoGo campaign for a unique project inspired by his young son. The campaign is focused on writing and recording an album together, with a fun, imaginative title: The Whackiest Animal Sounds. Aidan, a musician with 25 years of experience and several recordings under his belt, is seeking funds for further equipment, studio needs, and the production of what he hopes will become a full LP. Donors to the campaign will receive special perks as a token of appreciation. Aidan has also expressed a desire to share the campaign with his wider network, including clients, colleagues, and business owners, to help make this whimsical project a reality. You can find more information about it and participate through the following link: IndieGoGo Campaign: The Whackiest Animal Sounds.