OroraTech Raises €25M to Advance Satellite Wildfire Monitoring With AI

17th Oct 2024
OroraTech Raises €25M to Advance Satellite Wildfire Monitoring With AI

German startup OroraTech has raised €25 million in funding to scale an artificial intelligence-based wildfire early warning system.

OroraTech Gets Europe’s Strategic Investment 

On 15 October, the Munich-headquartered thermal infrared data analysis space startup announced a successful Series B funding round led by Korys, the investment arm of Belgian noble family Colruyt’s Colruyt’s, the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) and existing investor Bayern Kapital. Many of the company’s current investors, including Edaphon Private Impact Fund, Ananda Impact Ventures, ConActivity KG and Findus Venture, also contributed to the round.

OroraTech Management Team
Credit: OroraTech

What the Investment Will Be Used For?

OroraTech will use the new funding to fuel its next growth phase. The company plans to allocate the investment equally to three main areas: building its satellite constellation, improving its AI modelling and data analysis technologies, and expanding its global footprint outside of Europe.

Orbital Patrol to Monitor Wildfires

OroraTech has launched two satellites into low Earth orbit so far, the most recent of which launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket last June. The investment will fund the launch 2025 of up to nine new satellites equipped with thermal imaging cameras designed to detect wildfires and alert first responders and others quickly.

These satellites will focus on providing data during peak wildfire hours, from noon to 9 p.m., offering firefighters more frequent updates for effective fire management. In total, OroraTech plans to build a constellation of up to 100 satellites to provide coverage of any location and have a revisit time of 30 to 60 minutes.

AI Helps Fight Wildfires

OroraTech’s Wildfire Solution platform provides real-time satellite data from its probes and over 20 other Earth observation satellites.

The startup’s team trained an artificial intelligence algorithm to scan these images and automatically detect signs of wildfires. The system can also predict how they will spread. This helps decision-makers manage fires more effectively. These funds will help improve the AI-based fire spread simulation model and significantly accelerate the ability to detect fires via satellite networks and predict their spread.

OroraTech: One of Germany’s Most Dynamic Companies In Space Tech

Founded in 2018 by Florian Mauracher, Rupert Amann and Thomas Grübler with backgrounds in engineering and computer science, OroraTech deals with thermal data analysis and is a subsidiary of the Technical University of Munich.

The Wildfire Solution platform is used by customers worldwide, tracking over 160 million hectares of forest. It serves forestry, government, and utilities on six continents. The company recently secured a €20 million contract with the European Space Agency to support the Greek government’s efforts to fight wildfires.

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