Dryad plans wildfire drone system
Dryad Networks in Germany has raised two grants for its wildfire detection technologies, including drones to put out the fires.
A €3.8m grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will accelerate the development of a drone-based wildfire suppression project, codenamed “Florian,” while €2.5m will boost development of the ground-based Silvanet system.
This funding from investor First Imagine! brings the total raised from its April convertible financing round to €8.9m and allows Dryad to scale its Silvanet wildfire detection platform.
Alerted by the Silvanet network of solar powered sensors, Florian uses an autonomous drone fleet equipped with new fire suppression technology, such as acoustic waves to extinguish wildfires before they have a chance to spread. These autonomous, locally charged drones will be permanently stationed in high-risk forests, ensuring a rapid response to potential threats.
“Combining this with the new investment from First Imagine Ventures, we are well-positioned to revolutionize wildfire management. Our vision is not only to detect wildfires at their earliest stages but also to suppress them quickly, minimizing damage to communities, ecosystems and infrastructure,” said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO and co-founder of Dryad Networks.
“Dryad’s groundbreaking approach to wildfire detection and suppression is exactly the type of transformative technology we seek to support. As wildfires grow in intensity and frequency due to climate change, the need for scalable, proactive solutions has never been more urgent. We are excited to partner with Dryad Networks in their mission to protect critical ecosystems and build a more resilient, sustainable future,” said Boris Dorin, partner at First Imagine!
Silvanet is deployed in over twenty countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia with 20,000 sensors shipped to date.