Dryad Networks Named XPRIZE Wildfire Finalist

Ultra-Early Detection and Ground-Truth Data Prove Essential to Stopping Wildfires Before They Spread

Silvanet's Smoldering-Phase Detection and Silvaguard Autonomous Response System Offer Path to 4X Faster Wildfire Containment

Berlin, Germany, January 29, 2026 - Dryad Networks has been selected as one of five Finalist teams in the Autonomous Wildfire Response Track of XPRIZE Wildfire, an $11 million global competition designed to accelerate breakthrough innovations in wildfire detection and suppression. Dryad's integrated Silvanet sensor network and Silvaguard autonomous drone system represent a fundamental shift in how wildfires are fought: by detecting fires during the smoldering stage, before flames appear and triggering immediate, data-driven suppression.

The XPRIZE Wildfire competition, in partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, will culminate in summer 2026 in Alaska, where the five Finalist teams must autonomously detect and fully suppress a high-risk fire across a 1,000 km² test zone within 10 minutes while reliably ignoring decoy fires.

The Critical Role of Smoldering-Phase Detection

Traditional wildfire response relies on detection systems that identify visible flames or smoke plumes, a moment when fires have often already begun rapid growth. By then, response windows often have shrunk and containment becomes exponentially harder.

Dryad's Silvanet changes this equation. Solar-powered, AI-enabled gas sensors detect trace wildfire gases and micro-climate shifts directly under the forest canopy during the smoldering stage, within minutes from ignition. This ground-truth data does more than provide an earlier alert; it fundamentally enables effective suppression.

"Without smoldering-stage detection, you are asking firefighters and autonomous systems to respond to a fire that already has a head start," said Carsten Brinkschulte, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Dryad Networks. "Our ground-truth sensor data pinpoints the exact ignition location, provides micro-weather context, and feeds our AI models with the information needed to predict fire spread and target suppression precisely. Without that early signal, suppression is often a reactive race against a fire that is already winning."

From Detection to Suppression: A Closed-Loop Response

Silvanet's ignition alerts trigger the Silvaguard observation drone from a solar-powered hangar. Real-time visual confirmation allows incident commanders to verify threats and coordinate response. Dryad's water-equipped suppression drone then executes targeted mitigation at the exact ignition point. In recent field demonstrations, this integrated workflow has completed the full cycle, from detection through water drop and fire containment, in under 12 minutes.

This closed-loop integration offers the 4X acceleration in wildfire containment that XPRIZE Wildfire is designed to incentivize.

Recognition of Proven Capability

Dryad's selection as an XPRIZE Wildfire Finalist reflects the maturity and real-world validation of its technology. The company has deployed over 30,000 sensors across more than 50 sites worldwide, protecting critical infrastructure, utilities, and high-value assets from Australia to North America to Europe. In late 2025, XPRIZE's operations team conducted in-field testing with 13 Autonomous Semifinalist teams; Dryad's system demonstrated autonomous end-to-end wildfire response, smart detection, autonomous navigation and safety, and scalability across environmentally complex terrain.

The Judging Panel awarded Dryad and four other Finalist teams equal portions of a $750,000 prize purse for demonstrated technical readiness. In summer 2026, all five Autonomous Finalists will compete in a final testing round in Alaska, where they will demonstrate their ability to detect and fully suppress a high-risk fire within 10 minutes while avoiding decoy fires.

The Urgency of the Moment

The announcement comes one year after the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires, which claimed more than 30 lives, forced evacuations of over 200,000 people, and destroyed more than 16,000 homes and businesses. Globally, wildfires are becoming more frequent, more intense, and more destructive, challenges that traditional human-driven systems can no longer match in speed or scale.

“XPRIZE Wildfire Finalist teams are developing best-in-class wildfire detection and response approaches to address the growing threat from more frequent, intense, and destructive wildfires,” said Andrea Santy, XPRIZE Wildfire Program Director. “We are proud to provide the competing teams with resources, partnerships, and community collaborations that forge this essential path forward toward ending destructive wildfires.”

About Dryad Networks

Dryad Networks builds resilience intelligence for forests, critical infrastructure, and high-value assets using large-scale, solar-powered sensor networks that detect wildfires in their earliest smoldering stage and provide real-time, ground-truth risk insights. Headquartered in Berlin - Brandenburg, Germany, Dryad partners with utilities, governments, and enterprises worldwide to prevent catastrophic wildfires, protect communities and ecosystems, and support data-driven climate resilience. For more information, visit

dryad.net

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically scalable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at xprize.org.

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