CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust has made a $400,000 equity investment in SensorHubb, formally known as Fides Food Service Solutions LLC, a technology company based in Ranson that specializes in food safety monitoring for the hospitality and food service industries.
The deal is intended to give the company the resources it needs to expand its workforce, enhance its product offerings, and demonstrate that technology startups can thrive in West Virginia’s evolving economy.
Food Safety Through Continuous Monitoring
SensorHubb provides a platform that integrates with environmental sensors to continuously monitor commercial refrigeration and storage units. Food service providers rely on the system to track temperature and humidity in real time, data that can be viewed through a centralized dashboard and accessed remotely across multiple locations.
By automating this monitoring process, the company enables restaurants, hotels, and other food service operators to maintain compliance with safety regulations, reduce spoilage, and ensure public health safety. With the trust investment, SensorHubb expects to add nine to ten new jobs over the next three years, offering salaries ranging from $60,000 to $100,000, depending on position and commissions.
WVJIT’s Role in Economic Diversification
The trust’s support reflects its broader mission to fuel economic diversification in West Virginia by investing in small to midsize companies with strong growth potential. Established in 1992, the trust operates as a public venture capital fund, providing equity financing to eligible businesses.
Unlike grants or traditional loans, the trust’s approach is designed to supply working capital while encouraging companies to remain anchored in the state. Its leadership has consistently emphasized job creation, industry diversification, and economic stability as the benchmarks for investment decisions.
Trust executive director Andy Zulauf described SensorHubb as the type of firm that represents the future of the state’s economy.
“SensorHubb is exactly the kind of company we want to support through WVJIT,” Zulauf said in a statement. “They’re combining innovation with real-world industry knowledge, creating high-quality jobs, and showing the business community that West Virginia is a place where technology companies can thrive.”
For Zulauf and his team, the investment underscores the potential of homegrown startups to establish West Virginia as a hub for cutting-edge technologies that also deliver tangible public benefits.
Meeting Rising Demands in Food Safety
SensorHubb’s work is closely tied to broader national and global shifts in the way the food service and hospitality sectors approach safety and compliance. Over the past decade, there has been a steady move away from manual logbooks and spot checks toward automated, real-time monitoring.
Regulations have become stricter, and both health authorities and industry standards increasingly encourage or require digital solutions that reduce human error and allow faster responses when equipment malfunctions.
For businesses, the stakes are high: refrigeration failures and improper storage conditions can lead not only to costly spoilage but also to public health risks, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties. By offering continuous monitoring backed by alerts and mobile access, SensorHubb positions itself as a solution that meets these rising demands.
The company’s technology is already in use through its SecureTemps mobile application, which is available on both iOS and Android platforms. The app allows users to monitor conditions in real time, receive immediate alerts when thresholds are breached, and store historical data for compliance reporting.
This approach reflects a growing industry trend toward integration and automation, where sensors, apps, and dashboards are combined into comprehensive systems that help businesses operate more efficiently while adhering to food safety standards.
For restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools, such systems can make the difference between smooth inspections and costly violations.
A Strategy for Statewide Growth
For West Virginia, the investment signals a broader shift in economic priorities. The state, long known for its reliance on coal, natural gas, and heavy industry, has been working to diversify its economy and attract technology-oriented businesses.
According to state economic development figures, the information technology sector already contributes more than $2.5 billion in economic activity each year. By fostering companies like SensorHubb, West Virginia aims to retain more of its technical talent, encourage graduates to pursue careers within the state, and establish an ecosystem where startups and established firms can thrive.
Expanding Capabilities Through Acquisition
SensorHubb is also expanding its capabilities through strategic acquisitions. In July 2025, its parent company, Fides Food Service Solutions, purchased oneEvent Technologies, Inc. from National Presto Industries.
The acquisition, valued at roughly $550,000, added hardware expertise to SensorHubb’s software platform and strengthened its ability to provide fully integrated monitoring solutions. By combining software innovation with hardware development, the company is better positioned to deliver reliable, end-to-end services to customers nationwide.
Commitment to West Virginia
Chief executive officer Steve Cotton emphasized the local impact of the trust investment, noting that SensorHubb was founded in West Virginia and remains committed to building its operations in the state.
“As a West Virginia-founded company, we’re excited to partner with WVJIT to grow SensorHubb’s safety technology platform while creating quality jobs in our home state,” Cotton said.
“This financing supports our mission to make communities safer through innovative monitoring solutions and demonstrates that cutting-edge startups can thrive right here in West Virginia.”
His comments highlight not only the company’s growth ambitions but also its alignment with the state’s strategy of combining innovation with workforce development.
Food Safety as a Growing Priority
The timing of the investment comes as food safety has emerged as a global priority. Industry analysts note that consumers are more aware than ever of foodborne illness risks, and public confidence can be quickly shaken by news of contamination or recalls.
In an era when social media can amplify negative publicity instantly, maintaining rigorous safety standards is not only a regulatory requirement but also a key component of brand reputation.
Sensor-based monitoring technologies, such as those offered by SensorHubb, provide a way for businesses to meet regulatory standards while also protecting their reputations and building trust with customers.
The benefits of this technology also extend beyond compliance. By preventing spoilage and ensuring consistent storage conditions, companies can reduce waste and save on costs associated with lost inventory.
This efficiency can have a meaningful impact on margins, especially for smaller operators that cannot absorb large losses. In this sense, investing in monitoring technology is both a public health safeguard and a sound business decision.
SensorHubb’s scalable model positions it to serve not only local restaurants and hotels but also larger regional and national chains, giving the company room for continued growth.
Building a Tech Future in the Mountain State
The trust's decision to invest in SensorHubb demonstrates how state-level economic development agencies can play a role in shaping the industries of the future. By supplying capital to early-stage and growing companies, the trust aims to foster a cycle of innovation, job creation, and reinvestment that benefits communities across the state.
As West Virginia continues its efforts to diversify its economy, companies like SensorHubb offer a glimpse into how a traditionally resource-driven state can carve out new opportunities in high-tech sectors.
The road ahead for SensorHubb will likely involve scaling its customer base beyond West Virginia while keeping its operational foundation in the state. If successful, the company could serve as a model for how startups in smaller markets can compete on a national level without relocating to traditional tech hubs.
For West Virginia, the payoff could be both economic and symbolic: high-paying jobs, increased innovation capacity, and a stronger reputation as a state where technology businesses can thrive.
Looking Forward
As the hospitality and food service industries continue to embrace automation and data-driven safety practices, the demand for platforms like SensorHubb is expected to grow.
With new capital in hand, a recent acquisition under its belt, and strong backing from the trust, the company appears well-positioned to take advantage of that trend.
For state leaders and economic development officials, the investment represents more than just a financial stake in one company—it is part of a broader bet that West Virginia can be a home for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth.
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