As the weather warms and dries, things get a little crowded these days. While it is possible for humans to keep a fire alive (and there are even organizations that make it easy to volunteer), one of the biggest challenges is that technology often falls short; When technology catches fire, it’s on its way to getting out of control. Pano combines some smart cameras with AI technology to give fire protection workers a fighting chance of making things as fire-proof as possible.
Pano AI provides a fully managed solution that combines advanced hardware, artificial intelligence and easy-to-use cloud-based software to provide fire agencies with actionable intelligence and up-to-the-minute situational awareness. This helps first responders get to the scene faster and safer – with the right equipment, up-to-date information and improved coordination – so they can stop new fires in their tracks.
“The climate crisis is happening now, and humanity must start adapting today. At Pano AI, we are working to pioneer the field of climate change adaptation, so that we can help society cope with the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters. We are the first company to offer a fully managed solution that provides proactive wildfire detection using artificial intelligence,” said Sonya Kastner, CEO and founder of Pano AI, in an interview with TechCrunch. “This investment accelerates the geographic reach of the Pano AI solution, allowing us to protect more communities from these climate-induced emergencies. We are grateful for the support of our investors at this critical time as we face increasingly dangerous fire seasons around the world.
Kattner in 2011.
“Our Series A is a leading venture capital, often known for backing transformative companies that are pioneers in their industries. Kim-Mae Cutler, Partner at Initialized Capital, will join the Board of Directors. “We started as a wonderful team to work with because they share our values and understand Pano AI’s mission,” Kastner said. Her company has raised $20 million at a post-money valuation of $90 million. Prior to the current round, it had raised $8 million in convertible notes. “This investment shows that major investors understand the climate crisis and believe that AI and technology-enabled solutions can play a critical role in helping society adapt.”
Pano CEO Sonya Kastner holds one of Pano’s station cameras. Image Credits: over here
He told me that the company’s mission is to accelerate resilience to the ever-increasing climate and climate risks.
“In the coming decades, I predict that our disaster preparedness solutions will help address the climate crisis by reversing the devastating trend of wildfires and providing the information to better respond to other types of disasters,” Kastner said. “We are proud of the progress that has been made in the last two years; we are now monitoring 4.5 million acres and have received more than 1,000 detections this year. However, many key policymakers and decision makers do not understand that the technology to help prevent wildfires exists today – ready to be deployed without additional R&D.”
In the two years since its inception, Pano AI has engaged with utility companies, governments, fire authorities, forestry companies and other private owners. Pano AI operates in five US states (California, Colorado, Oregon, Idaho and Montana) and two states in Australia (New South Wales and Queensland).
