By 2025, the wildfire crisis has grown so severe that it was no longer a seasonal concern, it was a year-round threat. More than one billion acres burned globally in 2024 alone. In the U.S., over 30,000 wildfires scorched 1.3 million acres just this year, with Los Angeles witnessing 24 days of relentless blazes that claimed 16,000 structures and caused up to $164 billion in damage. Against this devastation, Pano AI is trying to be a frontline innovator in climate adaptation tech.
Founded in 2020 by Sonia Kastner, an alum of Google Nest, and Arvind Satyam, formerly of Cisco, Pano AI wants to help the emergency managers and wildland firefighters, “some of the most dedicated professionals on the planet,” that are operating without the tools they need. “The time to adapt to extreme weather events is now,” Kastner said in a statement. Their solution is a fully integrated, AI-powered wildfire detection and situational intelligence system designed to respond faster than traditional emergency call systems.
That urgency has translated into rapid growth and results. Pano AI just announced a $44 million Series B funding round led by Giant Ventures, with participation from Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures, Tokio Marine, and continued support from Salesforce Ventures, Initialized Capital, and Congruent Ventures. That brings the company’s total funding to $89 million and supports coverage across 30 million acres globally, including deployments in 10 U.S. states, five in Australia, and parts of British Columbia.
“We founded Pano AI based on one core belief: that the time to adapt to extreme weather events is now,” Kastner said. “Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more destructive every year, and we have built powerful tools to put in the hands of emergency managers on the front lines.”
How the Detection Tech Works
According to their website, Pano’s platform combines ultra-high-definition, 360-degree rotating cameras, satellite data, and AI-powered smoke detection models trained on NVIDIA GPUs. Its Pano Stations, mounted on high vantage points like mountain ridges or towers, perform full sweeps every 60 seconds. AI models, built for both daytime and infrared night detection analyze these images in real time, supported by human analysts who verify each detection.
The results are shared with first responders via custom alerts, maps, and GPS triangulation, giving them critical head start in wildfire containment. “Pano AI gave us early confirmation and precise coordinates that allowed us to launch a rapid aerial and ground attack in a remote watershed,” said Mike Alexander , Director of Emergency Management in Douglas County, Colorado. That particular incident, the Bear Creek Fire, was contained to just three acres due to early alerts.
The company says it now supports more than 250 first responder agencies, including 15 major utilities such as Xcel Energy, Portland General Electric, and Arizona Public Service. Xcel Energy, for example, has installed over 50 Pano stations across high-risk counties in Texas. “Early detection of wildfires is critical, especially in high-risk areas like the Texas Panhandle.” said Satyam.
Differentiating in a Crowded Market
The wildfire tech space has grown to over 500 companies globally (Chooch, OroraTech, and Cornea among them). Giant Ventures partner Cameron McLain talks about what can set Pano apart: “Pano AI is creating a new layer of resilience that will massively reduce the impact of increasingly frequent fire events.”
The team is going beyond reactive detection. Pano also monitors prescribed burns , ensuring controlled fires used to clear overgrown vegetation don’t escape containment zones. Their AI systems have helped CAL FIRE and other agencies increase safety around these critical mitigation efforts.
Kastner draws an analogy to healthcare: “This is just like cancer treatment. You can do early screening, catch it when it’s in phase one, and hit it with really aggressive treatment so it doesn’t progress.”
“Wildfire detection is becoming critical infrastructure, on par with energy, telecom, and emergency services,” said Satyam. The company’s systems have already spotted nearly 100,000 fire events, many before 911 calls were even placed.
A Global Imperative
Insurers like Tokio Marine are also getting involved. “Pano is creating the early detection infrastructure needed in wildfire-exposed regions of North America and Australia, but this is now a global challenge,” said Masashi Namatame, Group Chief Digital Officer at Tokio Marine Holdings.
With fire risk expanding eastward in the U.S. and new regions facing heightened vulnerability, Pano’s pipeline is rapidly growing. The company is already in conversations with emergency agencies in regions that historically had little exposure to wildfires.
The startup’s tools may not prevent wildfires altogether, but by shrinking the time between ignition and action, they aim to reduce damage, save lives, and preserve critical infrastructure.
