Dryad Networks has announced a significant financial boost to accelerate its wildfire prevention solutions. The company has been granted €3.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB), which will drive the development of its autonomous wildfire suppression project, codenamed “Florian”. This innovative project aims to create a drone-based system capable of tackling wildfires at their earliest stages.
In addition to this grant, Dryad Networks has secured €2.5 million in funding from climate-tech investor First Imagine!, bringing the total raised in its April convertible financing round to €8.9 million. This latest investment will enable the scaling of Dryad’s Silvanet detection platform and further the development of the Florian project, which combines AI-driven early detection with immediate suppression capabilities.
“We are thrilled to receive this substantial funding from ILB, which will significantly advance our ‘Florian’ project,” said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO and Co-Founder of Dryad Networks. “Combining this with the new investment from First Imagine Ventures, we are well-positioned to revolutionise wildfire management. Our vision is not only to detect wildfires at their earliest stages but also to suppress them quickly, minimising damage to communities, ecosystems and infrastructure.”
“Dryad’s ground breaking approach to wildfire detection and suppression is exactly the type of transformative technology we seek to support,” added Boris Dorin, Partner at First Imagine! “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.”
Building on the success of the Silvanet system, which uses solar-powered, AI-driven networks to detect the early signs of wildfires, Dryad is now developing Florian to provide swift and effective suppression. Using a fleet of autonomous drones equipped with cutting-edge fire suppression technologies, such as acoustic wave systems, Florian is designed to extinguish fires before they spread. These drones will be stationed in high-risk areas, allowing for rapid response.
Dryad Networks’ advancement to the finalist stage in the XPRIZE Wildfire Competition with the Florian project highlights the urgent need for such innovations. As wildfires cause billions of euros in damage and devastate ecosystems, the importance of new technologies for early detection and suppression has never been clearer.
Dryad Networks remains focused on advancing its technology, expanding its sensor network, and forming strategic partnerships to enhance wildfire resilience and management globally. Its core product, Silvanet, is already deployed across over twenty countries, with 20,000 sensors shipped to date in regions including North America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia.
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