Pyronear

What Pyronear does

Pyronear is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) that builds an open-source, AI-driven early wildfire detection system intended for fire departments, municipalities, and protected natural areas. The association operates on a volunteer-run model focused on democratizing access to wildfire detection technology rather than generating profits.

The core product is a detection tower composed of 4-5 high-resolution cameras connected to a microcomputer running a computer vision model trained on annotated wildfire imagery; the model identifies smoke and flames locally at the tower, and on detection transmits all relevant images to a database via Pyronear's proprietary internal API. A cloud-hosted supervision platform delivers near-real-time alerts to fire and rescue services, and is designed to integrate with nexSIS, the operational software used by French fire departments. To accelerate model improvement, Pyronear co-builds an open-data dataset of annotated fire images with partners and volunteers, publishing it on HuggingFace as pyronear/pyro-sdis for the wider research community.

The business model is non-commercial: the association prices deployments competitively by relying on volunteer R&D, low-power/low-tech hardware design, and its non-profit status. Revenue (to the extent any is recognized) comes primarily through grants, philanthropic acceleration, and corporate sponsorships (Fondation M33, Elaia endowment fund, Crédit Agricole Île-de-France endowment, Raise Sherpas, Inherent, Fast Forward) rather than product sales. Go-to-market is direct partnership with French SDIS/SIS fire services and regional authorities, supplemented by earned media coverage; the Fontainebleau deployment with SDIS 77 has been featured nationally. Current operational geographies span at least seven French regions plus first international deployments in Chile (with CENIA) and Catalonia (with ADF Subirats).

Name

Pyronear

Legal name

Pyronear

Website

https://pyronear.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pyronear is a French non-profit association that builds an open-source, AI-powered early wildfire detection system of cameras, microcomputers, and a supervision platform for French fire departments (SDIS/SIS), municipalities, and international partners in Chile and Catalonia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildfire Detection Software and Hardware Systems

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire Alarm Monitoring Services (HSAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Wildfire detection software
• AI fire monitoring
• Computer vision algorithms
• Emergency alert systems
• Open-source fire detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Service Model: Pyronear is a non-profit association (loi 1901) that provides its detection solution at competitive prices due to volunteer R&D, sober device design, and non-profit organizational structure. Revenue is not the primary focus; the mission is to democratize wildfire detection technology for the common good.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pyronear provides a complete open-source early wildfire detection solution comprising detection towers equipped with 4-5 high-resolution cameras and a microcomputer running a computer vision AI algorithm trained on fire outbreak images, a database connected via an internal proprietary API, and a supervision platform for fire departments. The system captures images at regular intervals, analyzes them locally for smoke and flame detection, and automatically transmits alerts to fire departments for rapid response. The solution is designed to be modular, energy-efficient, economical, and compatible with existing camera infrastructure.

Product overview

Pyronear offers a complete open-source wildfire early detection solution comprising detection towers (4-5 high-resolution cameras plus microcomputer running the detection algorithm), a cloud/database infrastructure for alert transmission, and a supervision platform for fire departments. The system captures images at regular intervals, analyzes them locally using a computer vision model to detect smoke and flames, and communicates alerts through an internal API to the database connected to the supervision platform. Pyronear also provides an open data dataset hosted on HuggingFace for the research community. All components are designed to be energy-efficient, economical, and modular to work with existing camera infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Wildfire Detection Algorithm An AI-powered wildfire detection algorithm implemented on microcomputers at detection towers. The algorithm analyzes images captured by high-resolution cameras at regular intervals to identify smoke and flames in forest environments across various situations and territories, activating alert mode when fire is detected. Designed for fire departments and emergency services that need automated early detection.
• Detection Tower System A detection tower consisting of 4-5 high-resolution cameras and a microcomputer that captures images at regular intervals and runs local analysis using the wildfire detection model. Each tower is designed to be energetically sober (low-tech, low-consumption) for easy deployment in remote forest areas. Targeted at fire departments and local authorities.
• Supervision Platform A monitoring platform for fire departments that receives fire detection alerts from detection towers via the database, enabling rapid response by fire and rescue services. Designed for departmental fire services (SDIS/SIS) needing real-time alert visibility across forest territories.
• Open Data Dataset A publicly available dataset of annotated fire detection images, co-built with partners and volunteers, shared on HuggingFace (pyronear/pyro-sdis) for use by the broader research community to advance wildfire detection technology.
• Complete Detection Pipeline An end-to-end wildfire risk management solution combining detection towers, AI algorithms, database infrastructure, and supervision platform. Designed to be modular and compatible with existing equipment including already-installed cameras, providing a complete automated wildfire early detection service for fire departments, local authorities, and natural park managers.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SDIS 07 (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours de l'Ardèche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner for requirements gathering and field experimentation in Ardèche. SDIS 07 provides real-world testing environment and feedback for the early wildfire detection system development.
• Engie GreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst private partner conducting an experimentation in Gironde region. Collaboration focuses on field deployment testing in areas with renewable energy infrastructure.
• CENIA (Centro Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial - Chile)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChilean National Center for Artificial Intelligence, partner for first international deployment abroad. Collaboration enables technology adaptation for different geographic and climatic conditions.
• ADF Subirats (Catalonia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalan partner for adaptation of detection device to existing camera infrastructure in the Subirats area.
• SDIS 12 (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours de l'Aveyron)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Aveyron for diversifying field tests and validating detection system performance in different terrain.
• SDIS 77 (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours de Seine & Marne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Seine & Marne protecting the Fontainebleau forest. Active deployment site featured in national media coverage.
• SIS 67 (Service d'Incendie et de Secours du Bas-Rhin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Bas-Rhin for diversifying field tests in the Alsace region.
• VendoeuvresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner in the Brenne Regional Natural Park for forest protection.
• FORCE 06 (Alpes-Maritimes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Alpes-Maritimes department to diversify field tests in high fire-risk Mediterranean region.
• Data for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPyronear originated during Data for Good acceleration seasons 6, 8, 10, and 12. Provides access to volunteer AI talent and acceleration support.
• AtraksisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation stakeholder for rescue services; serves as Pyronear's point of contact with firefighters.
• Hi!ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution providing human resources and connecting Pyronear with research world.
• DINUM (Direction Interministérielle au Numérique)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench government digital agency supporting through Etalab and the Citizen Initiative Accelerator program.
• LatitudesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in Study Project program, involving students in technical projects with mentorship.
• Fast ForwardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerator program supporting Pyronear through acceleration services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sensa (formerly Sensa.io): Sensa developed AI-based wildfire detection and risk modeling tools, with overlap on the computer vision and risk analytics side. While earlier-stage and more analytics-focused than Pyronear, it competes for mindshare with fire agencies evaluating AI-driven detection platforms.
• Descartes Labs: Descartes Labs applies machine learning to satellite imagery for wildfire detection, monitoring, and risk modeling. It overlaps with Pyronear on the computer vision + AI detection value proposition but is satellite- rather than ground-camera-based, positioning it as a complementary/competing data source for fire agencies.

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Building Technologies: Bosch provides video-based fire and smoke detection solutions as part of its broader building security and surveillance portfolio. While focused on indoor/industrial settings rather than outdoor wildfire detection, it represents a major incumbent offering AI-driven fire detection that competes for the same fire-safety budget lines.
• Teledyne FLIR: Teledyne FLIR is a large established provider of thermal imaging cameras and sensors widely used in fire detection, perimeter monitoring, and public safety. Its hardware is often the underlying sensing layer for detection systems, making it a broad incumbent whose products intersect with Pyronear's camera-based approach.

Direct peers

• Pano AI: Pano AI is the most direct competitor: AI-powered wildfire detection using cameras mounted on mountaintops and cell towers, with alerts delivered to fire agencies. Like Pyronear, it serves fire departments and utilities with early-detection solutions, but it is venture-backed, scaled commercially, and operating across the western US and Australia.
• OroraTech: OroraTech provides satellite-based thermal wildfire detection and monitoring services globally, including to forestry agencies and emergency services. It is a direct alternative procurement option for fire agencies evaluating detection solutions like Pyronear's, with a complementary technology approach (satellite vs. ground cameras).
• Dryad Networks: Dryad Networks provides ultra-early wildfire detection through IoT sensor networks deployed in forests, with a focus on environmental sensing and rapid alert transmission to fire services. It competes with Pyronear for the same budget-constrained, public-sector wildfire detection customers but uses a sensor rather than camera-based approach.
• ALERTWildfire (University of California): ALERTWildfire is a consortium of universities (UC San Diego and partners) operating a network of pan-tilt-zoom cameras across the western US for near-real-time wildfire detection, with feeds shared with fire agencies. It offers a comparable camera-network-plus-detection model with a public/non-profit operating structure similar to Pyronear.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pyro_near
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pyronearfr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Pyronear