Using AI to Fight Wildfires: How Dryad Networks is Scaling Climate Technology

Carsten Brinkschulte is the CEO of Dryad, a company that leverages AI to detect wildfires early and prevent catastrophic damage. Carsten shares his journey from a telecom entrepreneur to climate tech innovator, explaining how Dryad’s solar-powered sensors and mesh networks detect wildfires at their inception and transmit real-time alerts to their customers. He also discusses the technical challenges of embedding machine learning into low-cost sensors, the importance of collaborating with public and private stakeholders, and the evolving landscape of wildfire detection technology. Carsten provides advice for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs, emphasizing the need to align impact with profitability.