What Ember Flash Aerospace does

Ember Flash Aerospace Inc. is a private, Boulder Creek, California-based aerospace and disaster-response technology company founded in the wake of the 2020 California CZU wildfires. The company develops AI-powered wildfire detection and monitoring systems, with two core platforms: Vigilant Detect, a ground-based smoke-detection system that uses 12-megapixel cameras to capture images every minute and analyzes them in real time via cloud-based computer-vision algorithms, sending instant alerts to property owners and local emergency services; and Vigilant Sky, an ultra-long-endurance unmanned aerial system (UAS) sensor platform with off-grid capabilities for aerial wildfire monitoring. The company supplements its computer-vision stack with large language models (LLMs) for multi-channel disaster-data processing and decision support.

The company's underlying technology combines low-cost, NDAA-compliant hardware (chipsets from Ambarella, MStar, SigmaStar, and Intel) with cloud-hosted AI and US-based cloud services. Its business model is hardware-plus-recurring-subscription, with affordable monthly plans tailored to three primary customer segments: individual homeowners in wildfire-prone areas, community organizations (HOAs and FireWise communities), and commercial entities. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the company's website (product-led growth), supplemented by XPRIZE Wildfire competition partnership channels and direct integration with local emergency-services agencies. Pricing tiers and unit economics are not publicly disclosed. The company is an XPRIZE Wildfire semifinalist and operates with 1–10 employees as of the most recent reporting.

Ember Flash Aerospace raised approximately $9.8 million in a June 2025 funding round (its first material raise, following a $26,000 round in July 2024) and is actively soliciting angel investment. Its strategic positioning emphasizes accessibility for vulnerable communities, deployability during utility outages, and regulatory compliance for government-aligned buyers. The team combines aerospace engineering (NASA Ames), Silicon Valley enterprise hardware/IoT/ML expertise, dedicated hardware and EHS leadership, in-house general counsel, and dedicated fire-science advisory capability.

Name

Ember Flash Aerospace

Legal name

Ember Flash Aerospace Inc.

Website

https://emberflash.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ember Flash Aerospace is a private Boulder Creek, California company building AI-powered wildfire smoke detection hardware (Vigilant Detect) and ultra-long-endurance UAS drones (Vigilant Sky), sold via hardware-plus-subscription to homeowners, HOAs, and commercial entities for early wildfire warning and emergency response.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildfire Detection and Monitoring Systems

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire Detection & Early Warning (Lookouts, Sensors, Aerial Patrol) (AFAMAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerial Application Drones & UAS Spray Systems (AFAAADAB)

Keywords

• Wildfire detection systems
• Smoke detection cameras
• UAS drone monitoring
• Disaster response technology
• Computer vision AI

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Vigilant Hardware and Cloud Subscription: Sale of low-cost 12MP camera hardware combined with recurring cloud-based AI detection services. Plans are offered at affordable tiers tailored to individual homeowners, community groups (HOAs, FireWise communities), and commercial entities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ember Flash Aerospace develops and sells AI-powered wildfire detection hardware and software, including the Vigilant Detect smoke camera system (12MP sensors with cloud-based AI image analysis) and the Vigilant Sky ultra-long endurance UAS sensor platform. The company provides real-time smoke detection and notifications to property owners and emergency services for early wildfire warning and disaster response, with off-grid deployment capabilities for use when utilities fail.

Product overview

Ember Flash Aerospace offers a unified portfolio of wildfire detection and disaster response products centered around two core platforms — Vigilant Detect and Vigilant Sky — plus participation in the XPRIZE Wildfire competition. Vigilant Detect is an affordable, smart wildfire smoke detection system combining low-cost 12MP hardware sensors with advanced cloud-based AI algorithms that capture and analyze images every minute to detect smoke and send real-time alerts to property owners and emergency services. Vigilant Sky is an ultra-long endurance UAS sensor platform providing off-grid, portable wildfire monitoring data. Both platforms are complemented by Ember Flash Aerospace's XPRIZE Wildfire competition platforms, which leverage high-speed drone technology for early detection and rapid suppression. The company also incorporates large language models (LLMs) and machine vision to process realtime multichannel information for informed disaster decision-making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vigilant Detect A smart wildfire smoke detection system that uses cost-effective 12 megapixel sensors and advanced cloud-based AI algorithms to capture images every minute, analyze them in real-time for signs of smoke, and send instant notifications to both property owners and local emergency services. Targeted at individual homeowners, community groups (HOAs, FireWise communities), and commercial entities in wildfire-prone areas.
• Vigilant Sky An ultra-long endurance UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) sensor platform with off-grid capabilities, providing robust, portable real-time wildfire monitoring data even when other utilities fail. Designed for aerial wildfire monitoring and crisis deployment scenarios.

Quantifiable outcome

• Images captured and analyzed every minute for smoke detection
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pano AI: Pano AI mounts AI-powered cameras on mountaintops and telecom towers to detect wildfires in real time and dispatch first responders. It is the most direct competitor to Ember Flash's Vigilant Detect ground-sensor approach, with established utility and state agency deployments.
• ALERTWildfire: A consortium led by UC San Diego that operates a network of pan-tilt-zoom cameras across the western US for early wildfire detection. It is comparable to Ember Flash's Vigilant Detect offering in sensor-based smoke detection and government/university stakeholder engagement.
• Dryad Networks: Dryad builds ultra-early wildfire detection sensors with mesh networking for forest deployments. It overlaps with Ember Flash's mission of affordable, off-grid fire detection and competes for similar utility and forestry customers.
• Orora Technologies: Orora provides satellite-based hotspot detection and AI analytics for wildfire ignition monitoring. It is a direct peer in AI-driven wildfire early detection, offering an aerial/orbital alternative to Ember Flash's ground camera and UAS platforms.
• Iris Fire: Iris Fire integrates AI-driven camera analytics with fire command software for utilities and fire agencies. It competes with Ember Flash at the intersection of detection cameras and downstream emergency dispatch workflows.
• Drone Amplified: Drone Amplified builds UAS for prescribed fire and wildfire response, including aerial ignition and detection payloads. It overlaps with Ember Flash's Vigilant Sky UAS platform on the drone side of wildfire operations.

Emerging players

• Sentry (formerly SQWINDR): Sentry deploys networked sensors in wildlands for early wildfire detection. It targets a similar low-cost, distributed-sensor thesis as Ember Flash's Vigilant Detect product for utilities and forest managers.
• N5 Sensors: N5 Sensors develops semiconductor gas and flame sensors for early fire detection in industrial and outdoor environments. It is comparable as an emerging sensor-vendor peer in the wildfire and industrial fire-detection space.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Fire Safety (Notifier): Honeywell's Notifier division is a major provider of commercial fire alarm and detection systems. It is a broad incumbent whose detection/sensing portfolio intersects with Ember Flash's fire-detection mission, especially for commercial and government customers.
• Bosch Building Technologies: Bosch supplies commercial fire, video surveillance, and AI-based smoke detection systems globally. It is comparable as a broad incumbent whose AI fire-detection capability competes with Ember Flash's computer-vision smoke detection at the commercial-entity tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/emberflashaero
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ember-flash-aerospace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ember Flash Aerospace