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Wildfires are growing more destructive every year, causing over $100 billion in damage worldwide. Yet, most detection systems still depend on patrols, lookout towers, and slow satellite feeds that often catch fires too late. SenseNet, a San Francisco-based startup, wants to change that. The company has built an AI-powered network that can spot wildfires before they’re even visible—detecting fire-specific gases during the smoldering phase, sometimes hours before smoke or flames appear. Today, SenseNet announced a $14 million Series A funding round led by Stormbreaker, with participation from Thin Line Capital, Fusion Fund, Plaza Ventures, FOLD36 Capital, and B Current Impact Investment. The fresh capital will help the company expand across the U.S., one of the largest and most at-risk wildfire markets, as part of its mission to protect people, infrastructure, and ecosystems from fires that start small but spread fast. SenseNet’s system combines gas sensors, AI-driven cameras, and satellite feeds into one unified network. The gas sensors pick up early traces of combustion gases in remote areas, operating for up to a decade without a battery change or cellular connection. The cameras provide 360-degree coverage with up to 50 miles of range, automatically zooming in when a potential plume is detected. Those feeds are processed through an AI-based incident management platform that sends high-confidence alerts, maps hot spots, and forecasts fire spread up to seven days in advance. With $14M Funding, AI Startup SenseNet Aims to Detect Wildfires Hours Before Smoke Appears The company says its system can detect wildfires in as little as three minutes—often before the first visible smoke. It’s already protecting more than 130 million acres of land across Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Chile, and other regions through over 100 global partnerships. “This funding allows us to continue building the most comprehensive wildfire intelligence network in the world,” said Hamed Noori, founder and CEO of SenseNet. “With wildfires intensifying across the globe, our mission is clear: detect and help to stop fires before they become catastrophic.” SenseNet’s technology is already being used by fire departments to improve response coordination. “Today, their technology provides Vernon’s responders, emergency managers, and support staff with real-time visual coverage of much of the city’s wildland interface,” said David Lind, Fire Chief of the City of Vernon, B.C. “Beyond the clear benefits of early fire detection and notification, we’re leveraging the system to enhance situational awareness, anticipate operational needs, and model potential fire growth during incidents.” Investors say the company’s approach could redefine wildfire prevention. “SenseNet has developed a best-in-class solution to protect communities from the devastating impact of wildfires,” said Shane Wall, Partner at Fusion Fund and former CTO of HP. “Their combination of advanced sensing, simulation, and mitigation technologies represents a step-change in how we safeguard people and infrastructure.” Stormbreaker Partner Wade Oosterman added that prevention is far cheaper than recovery. “Our high conviction in SenseNet stems from the company’s ability to reduce the enormous cost of fighting wildfires for governments and for insurers, the prohibitive costs of recovery to a fraction of that through an intelligent investment in prevention.”
