Wildfires aren't going away anytime soon, but our ability to detect and track them — and catch them early enough to prevent serious damage — is getting better. OroraTech is taking a space-based approach to "wildfire intelligence" and just raised $25 million to grow its market and cover more of the Earth.

The German start-up currently has two thermal-infrared imaging satellites in orbit, keeping watch over scores of locations around the world and almost 160 million hectares of forested land.
OroraTech initially relied on data from dozens of other imaging satellites and terrestrial sources but now relies on its own and is planning on having an initial constellation of eight up and running by mid-2025.

That is the concept, as you might think, to enable near real-time monitoring of lands at risk from wildfires. For instance, the company just acquired an ESA €20 million contract to monitor Greece's forests; it is currently monitoring properties and lands in North America as well as the Pacific.

The more they collect, the better it can service-it's a big part of many imaging and space plays in which one unique, high-quality data set can be worth as much as the service itself. Especially when heavy hitters like Google get in.

This €25 million (about $27 million) B round was led by Korys, the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, and Bayern Kapital, with participation by Edaphone Private Impact Fund, Ananda Impact Ventures, ConActivity KG, and Findus Venture. The cash infusion should let the company keep building out its sensor network and training up its predictive AI systems; expect to hear about their next satellite, FOREST-3, going up in early 2025.