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Ahura Scientific

Company: Ahura Scientific, Inc., Wilmington, MA
Entry Submitted By: Two Roads Communications, Inc.
Company Description: Ahura Scientific, Inc. develops ultra-compact handheld, field-enabled optical systems for the immediate identification and authentication of liquid and solid chemical substances. Customers include agencies and companies in the homeland security, life sciences, industrial and medical markets.
Nomination Category: Company Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Most Innovative Company

Nomination Title: Ahura Scientific, Inc.


  1. Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved since January 1 2007 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

    With global chemical threats ever present – whether acts of terrorism, 
    illegally dumped industrial materials or clandestine drug labs – public safety
    demands that onsite identification capabilities continue to advance. Two of the
    most widely-adopted technologies for identification of unknown solids and
    liquids in the field are Raman and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR)
    spectroscopy, the underlying technologies behind the innovative chemical
    identification and verification product line developed by Wilmington, Mass.-
    based Ahura Scientific, Inc.

    Since its inception, Ahura Scientific has focused on developing rugged, ultra-
    compact, field-enabled optical systems for the identification of chemicals,
    using Raman spectroscopy in its initial product introductions.

    Launched in May 2005, Ahura Scientific’s flagship FirstDefender™ is a Raman-
    based handheld instrument for in-the-field identification of unknown solids and
    liquids by first responders, soldiers, law enforcement and homeland security
    personnel. FirstDefender has set the standard for accuracy, applicability,
    durability, ruggedness and usability in the chemical identification market.
    FirstDefender was then followed in December 2006 by TruScan™, a handheld Raman
    spectrometer optimized for the pharmaceutical industry.

    In 2008, the company built upon this Raman legacy with the release of
    TruDefender™ FT, an extension of the first responder’s toolkit based on the
    company’s new FTIR platform. TruDefender FT is the latest in Ahura Scientific’s
    line of advanced identification instruments, reinforcing the company’s ability
    to deliver innovative products. Optimized for hazmat and military communities,
    TruDefender FT enables safety and security responders to analyze – and act –
    faster than ever before, with an instrument small enough to fit in a cargo
    pocket. Further, it enables first responders to bring the proven precision of
    FTIR directly to the sample in the field.

    This FTIR platform demonstrates Ahura Scientific’s ability to react to specific
    market needs and leverage different scientific technologies to support an array
    of applications and industries. Beyond the safety and security and
    pharmaceutical markets, the company’s FTIR platform has a number of
    applications – including a range of quality control (QC), product verification,
    and raw material inspection applications in the industrial sector, including
    pharmaceutical manufacturing, food production, petrochemical processing, and
    composite analysis.

    When used alone, TruDefender FT and FirstDefender provide the analysis and
    results needed to evaluate and identify substances for safe remediation. When
    used together, the instruments serve as confirmatory techniques for a more
    comprehensive assessment of a given scenario, providing greater confidence in
    response.

    Ahura Scientific’s chemical identification instruments empower those we depend
    on for our safety and security – like firefighters, police officers, hazmat
    teams, and military personnel – with the advanced tools they need to be more
    effective on the job and, as a result, better protect themselves and their
    communities. In a world where superior technologies are becoming essential for
    the safety of our citizens, Ahura Scientific is an example of a true innovator
    dedicated to the development of handheld chemical identification instruments
    that help protect our world.

  2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

    http://www.ahurascientific.com/about-ahura/press-releases/pr20080131.php 
    (Original release)

    http://www.hsdailywire.com/single.php?id=5532 (HS Daily wire pick up)

    http://masshightech.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/02/18/newscolumn2
    .html
    (MHT mention)

    http://www.ahurascientific.com/about-ahura/press-releases/pr20080325_sdi.php
    (SDi release)

    http://www.ahurascientific.com/download/pdf/SDi%20reprint_final.pdf (SDi
    coverage pdf)

    http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS128423+25-Mar-2008+MW20080325
    (Reuters)

  3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:

    Doug Kahn, Chairman and CEO
    Kahn is an entrepreneur with more than 25 years of executive management
    experience. He has an extensive track record of leadership in high technology
    companies and is guiding the company through the next phases of its
    development, driving rapid market penetration and growth.

    Previously, Kahn was CEO and President of PanAmSat Corporation, a leading
    international provider of satellite-based communications services. He also
    served as Chairman and CEO of Easel Corporation, leading to a successful IPO
    and ten years of growth. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Cornell University
    and an MBA from Stanford University.