Satellites on Fire

About Satellites on Fire

Satellites on Fire provides an AI-powered wildfire detection platform that leverages satellite imagery and ground-based cameras for early warnings. The company was founded in 2020 by Franco Rodriguez Viau, Ulises López Pacholczak, and Joaquín Chamo, who were high school students at ORT Buenos Aires at the time. The inspiration for the startup came after wildfires in Córdoba, Argentina, affected family friends of Rodriguez Viau.The venture, which began as a school project, was redeveloped after initial feedback from over 80 firefighters and emergency responders indicated their first version was not operationally practical. This led to a more client-focused approach. The company's system aggregates imagery from more than eight satellites from NASA, NOAA, and the European Space Agency, providing updates as frequently as every five minutes. By applying proprietary AI models to detect heat signatures and simulate fire spread, the platform alerts users an average of 35 minutes earlier than NASA's public FIRMS service. In some documented cases, alerts have been sent hours before traditional systems. Alerts are delivered directly to users, including fire departments and forestry companies, via WhatsApp or SMS.The company operates on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model, with annual pricing ranging from $0.02 to $10 per hectare, depending on the service tier. Its client base includes forestry companies, agricultural businesses, energy utilities, carbon credit projects, insurers, and government agencies. For instance, Aon has integrated the platform into its forestry insurance policies in Latin America to calculate risk and price premiums. As of early 2026, the platform monitored territory in over 20 countries for more than 55,000 users and was involved in the response to more than 600 wildfires in 2025.Satellites on Fire has achieved several key milestones, including being declared of Scientific and Technological Interest by the Legislature of the City of Buenos Aires and winning the "Impact Apps" contest from Open Space. In April 2026, the company closed a $2.7 million seed funding round led by Dalus Capital, with participation from notable investors like Draper Associates. The capital is intended to fund expansion into the United States market, enhance its AI models, and develop new products like a parametric wildfire insurance offering.Keywords: wildfire detection, forest fire alerts, satellite imagery analysis, climate tech, disaster prevention, AI-powered monitoring, geospatial intelligence, remote sensing, early warning system, fire propagation modeling, risk management, SaaS, environmental technology, agritech, insurtech, natural disaster response, real-time alerts, fire mapping, South American startups, emergency services technology, land management.