AI-Powered Forest Protection: Dryad Networks Raises €8.9M
The zero-lithium solar detector can connect to its network even in areas with no internet – © Dryad
German startup Dryad Networks has secured €8.9M in total funding to expand its innovative forest protection technology. According to an article in FinSMEs, the funding includes €6.3M from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB), plus €2.5M from First Imagine!
The Berlin-based company, led by CEO Carsten Brinkschulte, will use the investment to scale up its Silvanet wildfire detection platform while developing Florian, a groundbreaking fire suppression system. Silvanet employs solar-powered, AI-driven sensor networks to detect wildfires at their earliest stages.
The company's newest initiative, Florian, introduces an autonomous drone fleet equipped with innovative fire suppression technology, including acoustic waves. These drones will be permanently stationed in high-risk forest areas, enabling immediate response to potential threats.
Dryad Networks has set ambitious environmental targets, aiming to prevent 3.9 million hectares of forest from burning by 2030, which would prevent approximately 1.7 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions. The company is also expanding Silvanet's capabilities to include chainsaw sound detection for preventing illegal logging, advanced forest health monitoring, and sensor-based predictive risk analysis.
