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• Wildfires are increasing in frequency and scale across the globe, causing billions in damage and putting ecosystems and communities at extreme risk.
• A new $44 million investment in Pano AI’s real-time, AI-powered wildfire detection system marks a significant advancement in global climate adaptation strategies.

In an era increasingly defined by climate extremes, the threat of wildfires has moved from seasonal risk to year-round crisis. Across continents, fires are consuming landscapes, displacing communities, and straining emergency response systems. The economic costs run into billions. The ecological costs, immeasurable. In this climate, the announcement that has raised $44 million in Series B funding emerges not just as a financial milestone but as a signal of serious intent in the global fight against wildfire disasters.

Founded in 2020 and based in San Francisco, Pano AI uses advanced artificial intelligence combined with real-time imagery from high-definition cameras to detect and alert authorities to wildfires as soon as they ignite. The company’s recent funding round was led by Giant Ventures, marking a significant endorsement of climate-focused innovation. Previous rounds included participation from Valour Equity Partners and T-Mobile Ventures, which have supported the company’s development from early stages.

Scaling Early Detection

Pano AI’s systems work by installing towers equipped with 360-degree cameras across high-risk regions. These cameras continuously scan the terrain, transmitting real-time visuals to cloud-based AI models trained to identify the early visual cues of wildfire ignition—namely, smoke.

In Boulder County, Colorado, the system demonstrated its efficacy by identifying a fire within just three minutes of ignition. Local emergency services were able to intervene before the fire spread, underscoring a truth that’s long driven public safety planning: the sooner the response, the smaller the disaster.

Each year, wildfires cause over $10 billion in direct economic losses in the United States alone. In 2023, the U.S. recorded over 56,000 wildfire incidents, affecting 2.5 million acres of land. In Europe, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service reported that wildfires scorched 500,000 hectares, with southern countries such as Greece, Italy, and Portugal experiencing historically severe fire seasons.

A Global Threat Demanding Global Tools

Wildfires have no respect for borders, seasons, or traditional weather models. As the climate warms, the once-predictable summer fire seasons in countries like Australia and Canada now bleed into spring and autumn, with fires appearing even in traditionally fire-immune regions like the Arctic Circle.

Australia, anticipating record-breaking fire conditions, committed $300 million in 2023 to invest in fire prevention and early response technologies. In parallel, the European Union approved �170 million for wildfire readiness and surveillance tools as part of its wider Green Deal policy. These initiatives are clear indicators that countries are searching for smarter, faster tools to mitigate fire risk. AI-based detection like Pano AI’s fits squarely into that toolkit.

Why Funding Matters

The $44 million raised by Pano AI will allow the company to scale its infrastructure, refine its detection algorithms, and expand into international markets where early intervention can dramatically reduce damage. The funding will also support hiring in fields like machine learning, geographic information systems (GIS), and disaster management. Offices in London and Sydney are planned to support deployment in Europe and Australia, regions currently facing severe wildfire threats.

A key aspect of the expansion involves integrating their detection platforms with national and regional emergency response systems. The ability to not only detect but also communicate fire data rapidly to those in charge of suppression is a crucial value-add of Pano AI’s service. It moves beyond passive monitoring to active disaster management.

The Role of Telecoms and Infrastructure

Although not part of this Series B round, T-Mobile Ventures’ earlier investment highlights a key area of concern: communications infrastructure. Wildfires are notorious for damaging or disabling cell towers and fibre-optic lines, effectively cutting off communities from emergency alerts and updates.

By supporting early detection technologies, telecom companies protect their assets and ensure continuity of service during climate emergencies. This is a compelling example of how private sector interests and public safety can intersect. It also reflects a broader shift: more sectors are beginning to see climate resilience as a critical business function.

Technology as First Responder

Artificial intelligence in wildfire detection is not an isolated innovation. Companies like Germany’s OroraTech, which uses satellite thermal imaging, and California-based Fireball International, which incorporates crowd-sourced data, are part of a growing ecosystem of wildfire tech firms.

What sets Pano AI apart is its terrestrial, real-time surveillance combined with AI-powered recognition. Unlike satellite systems, which may be limited by orbital passes or cloud cover, Pano AI’s ground-based cameras offer continuous visibility. The system’s ability to pinpoint exact coordinates and offer live footage allows emergency services to deploy quickly and accurately.

This tech-first approach is increasingly viewed not just as beneficial but necessary. The U.S. Forest Service notes that the average size of wildfires has more than doubled over the last two decades. Faster detection could mean containing a fire at 10 acres instead of 10,000.

Data and the Future of Fire Management

Incorporating machine learning also means that each detection event improves the system. Over time, Pano AI’s algorithms will become better at distinguishing real threats from false alarms—an ongoing challenge in AI-powered surveillance.

As the company expands into areas like California’s Sierra Nevada or Australia’s New South Wales, the variety of ecosystems and ignition profiles it encounters will enhance the system’s accuracy. The data generated could eventually feed into global wildfire modelling, helping researchers forecast not just when fires start but where they are likely to occur next.

Global collaborations with environmental research bodies and climate prediction models could be the logical next step. Such integrations would elevate Pano AI from a detection company to a critical node in the global climate resilience network.

Looking Ahead

The recent funding puts Pano AI on a trajectory that intersects with some of the most pressing challenges of our time: climate adaptation, public safety, and environmental conservation.

Countries that lack sophisticated detection infrastructure may soon benefit from plug-and-play deployment of towers and AI models. Island nations in the Pacific, regions in sub-Saharan Africa experiencing growing wildfire risk, and vast forested regions in South America could all stand to gain.

The scalability of AI means that what began in California could soon help monitor Brazil’s cerrado, Italy’s southern coasts, and Indonesia’s peatlands.

And while technology alone cannot stop wildfires, the ability to detect them early changes the calculus of risk. It buys time. It saves money. It protects ecosystems and lives.

Pano AI’s growth isn’t just a Silicon Valley success story. It’s a marker of how the climate crisis is reshaping technological priorities—and how investors, scientists, and communities are collaborating on solutions that weren’t possible even five years ago.

This isn’t innovation for its own sake. It’s innovation in response to urgency.

Final Note

As governments, businesses, and individuals grapple with climate risk, the adoption of early detection tools will likely move from optional to mandatory. Public policy may soon require municipalities in fire-prone regions to install detection systems or subscribe to AI-based alert services.

Pano AI’s story, still early in its arc, offers a view into what such a future might look like—a world where the first responder isn’t a firefighter but a sensor.

If that future means fewer evacuations, less destruction, and more resilience, it’s a future worth funding.