Dryad adds to Series A to detect forest fires
Berlin startup Dryad Networks is raising its Series A funds for its forest fire detection technology with backing from the Canadian TELUS Pollinator Fund.
The TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good in Canada is making an undisclosed equity investment into the round. The fund launched with an initial $100 million investment and is one of the world’s largest corporate social impact funds with a focus on for-profit companies and founders committed to driving social innovation.
The company last year raised €10.5m and the technology is already deployed with private and public clients in Europe, South America and the US to detect forest fires. The Pollinator Fund’s investment will help further scale in the US and into Canada to deploy 120 million sensors around the world and to protect nearly 4 million hectares of forest by 2030.
- Dryad hunts the firestarters
- Dryad raises €10.5m to warn of wildfires
- Pilot programme to roll out wildfire detection IoT network
The large scale LoRa-based IoT networks and sensors developed by Dryad can detect forest fires as early as their smoldering phase. This greatly reduces the risk of fires spreading out of control, and can help prevent the escalating costs and environmental impacts of wildfires, including biodiversity loss and health issues related to poor air quality.
With the amount of forest burned by wildfire that is projected to double by 2050, the Pollinator Fund’s investment will contribute to address this growing environmental emergency by accelerating the deployment of Dryad’s technology to protect forests and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions resulting from wildfires.
Detecting forest fires
Dryad’s technology uses gas sensors that are trained to detect smoke and it sends alerts once gas is detected, giving first responders critical time to get to the fire before it spirals out of control. Dryad’s system can operate in remote regions and uses IoT technology to extend the mobile network coverage areas.
“TELUS recognizes that there is an urgent need to scale innovative wildfire detection technologies and that’s why the Pollinator Fund is investing in Dryad,” said Blair Miller, Managing Partner, TELUS Pollinator Fund.
“More than 10 million hectares — an area about three times the size of Belgium — have already burned this year in Canada alone, and the annual national cost of fire protection exceeded $1 billion for six of the last 10 years. Not only can Dryad sensors limit economic losses, but they also have a significant impact in the fight against climate change. They protect vital ecosystems and can even save human lives by alerting first responders within minutes of a wildfire starting.”
“We are delighted to receive the investment from the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good,” said Carsten Brinkschulte, Co-founder and CEO at Dryad Networks. “This funding will support us to scale our ultra-early wildfire detection technology and make a significant impact in combating the escalating wildfire risk. By deploying our wireless sensor network, we aim to protect vital ecosystems, and prevent billions of tons of CO2 emissions. Together with TELUS, we are committed to addressing the critical issue of wildfires and building more resilient communities.”
telus.com/pollinator; www.dryad.net
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