A startup is able to detect fires within minutes using satellites and AI

Summer has become a season of danger. Every year, megafires devastate thousands of hectares around the Mediterranean, and traditional detection systems arrive too late. But a young German startup, OroraTech, has taken on a seemingly impossible challenge: spotting a fire from space in under ten minutes and alerting firefighters before the blaze spirals out of control. Founded in 2018 in Munich by a team of space engineers and artificial intelligence specialists, OroraTech grew up in the shadow of aerospace giants. Yet it has convinced Greek rescue services, international insurers, and even the European Space Agency (ESA) to bet on its technology. Their wager? Using shoebox‑sized nanosatellites to track hotspots 24/7, through clouds and smoke. 🔭 Their game‑changing idea: OroraTech developed the FOREST satellite constellation, equipped with SAFIRE thermal cameras and an onboard AI model. Images are processed directly in orbit — only critical alerts are sent to the ground. The result: precious minutes saved, forests preserved, and lives protected.