Dalus Capital backs AI wildfire detection startup Satellites on Fire with $2.7M
What's the deal? Mexican venture capital firm Dalus Capital has invested $2.7M in Satellites on Fire, an Argentine climate tech startup that uses AI to detect forest fires in real time. The round also included participation from Draper Associates, Vitamin C, and Draper Cygnus VC.
The startup's platform integrates satellite data, ground-based cameras, and fire propagation simulation models. It claims to identify outbreaks an average of 35 minutes faster than existing NASA monitoring systems.
Satellites on Fire currently monitors territories across 21 countries on four continents, serving roughly 55,000 users under a freemium model. Its clients span forestry, agriculture, energy, carbon projects, and government entities.
Why now? Wildfires are growing more frequent and destructive worldwide, making early detection increasingly valuable. In 2025 alone, the startup's system supported responses to more than 600 wildfires, according to the company.
The fresh capital will fund improvements to its AI models, expansion into the US market, and the launch of a parametric insurance product for forest fires in partnership with Aon.
What could go wrong? Breaking into the US market means competing against well-funded domestic players and navigating a complex patchwork of federal and state wildfire management agencies. The parametric insurance product — a new line of business — adds execution risk on top of the core detection platform.
Scaling from 21 countries to a meaningful US presence will also require significant investment in localised data, partnerships, and regulatory compliance.
The signal: Dalus Capital's involvement alongside Tim Draper-linked funds (Draper Associates and Draper Cygnus VC) signals growing cross-border investor appetite for LatAm climate tech with global applicability. Satellites on Fire, classified as an early-growth company, is entering a US market where wildfire costs have surged past $10 billion annually — and where its planned pivot into parametric insurance with Aon could open a revenue stream well beyond detection software.
Read more: mexicobusiness.news
