On this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I sit down with Carsten Brinkschulte, co-founder and CEO of Dryad Networks, to uncover how a seasoned telecom entrepreneur pivoted from software to saving forests.
Carsten explains how witnessing devastating wildfires and his own daughter’s climate activism pushed him to found Dryad Networks, a company deploying solar-powered sensors and mesh networks deep into forests to detect wildfires before they spread. We dive into what it takes to build rugged IoT devices for some of the world’s harshest, most remote environments, how Dryad trains edge AI to sniff out the gas signatures of a forest fire, and why satellite partnerships are vital to keeping the network online when traditional connectivity vanishes.
He also shares hard-earned insights on scaling hardware startups, building trust with governments and forestry organisations worldwide, and balancing climate impact goals with commercial reality.
This episode is a masterclass for anyone interested in climate tech, IoT innovation, or the grit required to turn a fresh idea into a global venture that could prevent millions of hectares from going up in smoke.
Tune in and get inspired by a founder turning sensors, AI and satellite links into tools for fighting climate change—one forest at a time.
[00:00:01] Welcome to the Startup Builders and Backers Show, a podcast which is part of the Tech Talks Network. I'm Neil C. Hughes and you may know me from the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, which covers a completely different topic every day around how technology is ultimately impacting our life, our work and even world.
[00:00:22] But the Tech Talks Network is a series of unique podcasts that drill down on unique subjects and showcase the voices right at the heart of tech startups. And in this series, I want to shine a spotlight on the energetic world of startups where bold entrepreneurs and visionary investors come together and create the world beating solutions of tomorrow.
[00:00:47] So the conversations you can expect to hear on this show will dive right into the journeys of those building innovative companies and also the strategic insights of those who support them. Balancing the excitement of breakthrough ideas with the more pragmatic challenges of scaling a business. So if you're a startup founder, you get to learn from other founders some of the mistakes they learned and also some of the opportunities that they unlocked along the way.
[00:01:14] So I invite you to join us as we unpack the risks, the rewards and the realities of turning those groundbreaking concepts into successful enterprises. But today I want to learn more about how technology such as AI and IoT and satellite communications and innovations in these fields is creating a breakthrough solution.
[00:01:36] My guest today is the CEO and co-founder of Dryad Networks, a company pioneering the Internet of Trees. And they are offering ultra early wildfire detection and transforming forest management around the world.
[00:01:51] So my guest today is going to be sharing the story behind Dryad's mission, how AI powered sensors can literally smell a fire before it grows out of control and why their recent partnerships with satellite operators is unlocking unprecedented possibilities for wildfire prevention. So can we reimagine our forests as connected ecosystems that not only protect themselves, but also help combat climate change?
[00:02:19] Let's see if we can get the answers today because it's time for me to introduce you to today's guest. So a massive warm welcome to the show. Can you tell everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do? Yeah, thank you. My name is Carsten Brinkschutter. I'm co-founder and CEO of Dryad Networks. I run a company, Dryad, which is focusing on ultra early detection of wildfires.
[00:02:47] And Dryad Networks addresses this critical global challenge with its wildfire detection. I was reading about it before you came on the podcast today and also about this forest monitoring technology. And one of the things I try and do every day on this podcast is get people thinking differently about the ways that technology impacts our life and in ways that you in areas that you don't associate with technology. And I would imagine wildfires and forests is one of those areas.
[00:03:14] So what was it that inspired you to co-found Dryad? And how did the idea for the Internet of Trees come to life? There's got to be a story there, right? Yes, there is indeed the story. This is actually my fourth company. I had three companies before. And the last company I ran, I sold to Twilio, which is an Internet company in the US. And after you sell a company, you kind of fall into a hole. You've lost your baby and don't know what to do anymore.
[00:03:44] And at that time we had lots of wildfires actually on the news in 2018. That was in Australia, in the Amazon and in California. And for me, that was the first time that this was really becoming visible. And at the same time we had over here in Germany, but also in the UK, the Fridays for Future movement, where children were going on the street protesting against climate change, including my daughter.
[00:04:14] And I guess the combination of the media and the protests actually led me to think about technical solutions to this problem. Because I've spent most of my time in the telecoms industry. And once you have a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
[00:04:37] So obviously I started to think about how to use telecommunications technology to apply to this problem of wildfires. Now, wildfires are also responsible for up to 20% of global CO2 emissions. So how does your technology work to detect these wildfires at such an early stage? And what impact have you had on reducing these emissions so far?
[00:05:03] Yeah, our technology is basically something like an electronic nose that we put into the forest. These are small devices that actually can smell a fire, gas sensors that are sensitive to hydrogen, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. And using AI to actually identify the smell of a fire by looking at the gas patterns emerging when organic material is combusting.
[00:05:33] And so these sensors, they're about the size of the palm of your hand. They are attached to trees, they're solar powered, and we spread them all over the forest. Similar to what you probably have in your room, a fire detector that you should have in your room, we have a similar technology but working for the forest.
[00:05:56] But of course, in the forest, you also need communications for these sensors to call the fire brigades to respond to a fire detected by the sensors. And as you probably know, if you go hiking, most of the forests do not have any or at least not good internet connectivity. So we actually created what we now call the internet of trees to enable our sensors to communicate.
[00:06:22] So we're basically creating a telecommunications network for the forest, and then we put sensors into that network to detect the fires. And the second part of the question was, did we have any impact? Well, I mean, we started four years ago, and we have spent about three years developing the solution. For about a year now, we have started to sell it.
[00:06:49] We now have 50 customers that have deployed it in many parts of the world in southern Europe and Greece and Spain and Portugal. We even have a deployment in the UK, actually, in Malston Moore. We also have deployments in Canada and California and as far as Thailand. But have we detected many and prevented many fires? So far, only one. I mean, it takes a while for the system to work and then actually to catch fires.
[00:07:18] We detected a fire actually in the Lebanon a year ago that was unintended and could have caused a large fire. And our sensors picked it up quite early before it could spread and cause any substantial damage. So, so far, we've prevented one fire that could have gone out of control. We hope to detect and prevent many more now.
[00:07:40] And as you said there, and I suspect many people listening will be thinking, well, if there's no signal in the forest, no internet signal, how do you get that connection? And one of the things I was reading before you came on the podcast, you've got a partnership that brings satellite connectivity to your wildfire sensors. So can you tell me a little bit more about that and how that partnership, how that integration expands deployment possibilities and ultimately enhances the effectiveness of the Internet of Trees network that you've created here?
[00:08:10] Yeah. So the fundamental technology of dryads, what we call silver net technology is to create the Internet of Trees, which is a mesh network that we installed in the forest. These are solar powered devices that provide connectivity to the sensors that can detect the fire using the gases, as I explained earlier. Yeah. Now, this mesh network somehow has to, of course, connect to the Internet.
[00:08:40] And so if available at the edge of the forest, we connect into 4G LTE networks. But if that's not available, the latest version of our gateways have direct-to-satellite connectivity built in. So at least over Europe and North America, we're working with a company called Echostar.
[00:09:04] And they have a geostationary or two geostationary satellites that we utilize to send the data to space and from there down to Earth. So basically, the networks, the mesh networks that we install in the forest, they can be either connected to the 4G LTE networks if available. And if not, we will use the satellites as a backhaul, as a connectivity to the Internet.
[00:09:33] And I was also reading that you use networks and AI to monitor forest health and detect fires. There's a lot of hype around AI and the kind of ROI on any AI deployment. So how do these technologies work together? And what role does artificial intelligence play in maybe analyzing the data that you collect here? Yeah, of course, we use AI.
[00:09:57] Technically, it's actually machine learning, which is what you would call a subset of AI, but it belongs into the tool chest of AI. So basically, what our machine learning algorithms in the sensors do, they're actually operating in the devices on the edge of the network in the sensors.
[00:10:15] And these machine learning algorithms, they're identifying patterns that are then typical for a fire, because every fire produces gas composition, which our sensors pick up. And it's like a fingerprint, basically, like a smell, in fact, right?
[00:10:37] If you stand in the forest and there is a fire going on, you would recognize the typical smell of that organic material burning. And so can our sensors. And we use AI or machine learning to identify the patterns that are typical for the gas composition of a fire.
[00:10:57] So the sensors have been trained to distinguish between the normal air, the clean air in a forest, and the smell of a forest being on fire. So that's the role of machine learning that we have implemented. What's interesting maybe is that we had to push this to the edge. So the machine learning is not operating in large data centers like most AI or ML algorithms.
[00:11:26] But we actually had to push it to the edge to execute in the sensors. Because our network is very narrowband, we can't transmit large amounts of data from the sensors to the internet. And that required us to actually implement the AI in the sensors, which was quite a challenge, because as you can imagine, there isn't a lot of compute power and memory available.
[00:11:51] And I was also reading, I think you set a pretty ambitious goal of preventing 3.9 million hectares of forest from burning by 2030. So I've got to ask, what kind of strategies and innovations are you implementing to achieve this? And how do you plan to scale globally? It's incredibly ambitious, incredibly cool. It is ambitious. And obviously, that's a lofty target.
[00:12:17] But we believe we can achieve it if we scale as we're starting to. We've so far sold and deployed about 20,000 of the sensors. It's fully industrialized and we are ready to scale to hundreds of thousands and in fact, millions of those sensors to be spread into the most vulnerable forests of this world. We're focusing on the areas where humans are initiating fires.
[00:12:46] And that's about 80% of the fire starts. So we deploy the sensors along train lines, along power lines, along hiking paths, along roads, basically where humans are doing stupid things. And we want to deploy a very large number of them. The more we deploy, the higher the probability to detect and prevent fires. It's actually not that difficult to get to this lofty target of 3.9 million hectares.
[00:13:15] Because if you think about a single fire that starts maybe by dropping a cigarette, can quickly develop into a mega fire consuming, you know, a million hectares of forest eventually, if it's not caught early. And if you look at the fires in Canada, Canada has lost 14 million hectares of forest in just one summer.
[00:13:41] And so we believe by preventing a few of those fires, we can actually achieve the target of preventing large scale fires. And with that have the environmental impact that we're seeking with the triad. And I think I should also highlight that you're not just about wildfire detection, because you also focus on forest health and growth monitoring too.
[00:14:08] So can you tell a little bit more about how your solution contributes to things like biodiversity conservation and sustainable forestry management? Because again, these are areas we don't associate technology with usually. Yeah, I think the forest in general is not associated with technology. And main reason for that is that there is no connectivity in the forest. So it's simply basically impossible to bring IoT to the forest without a network.
[00:14:35] And that's the fundamental solution that with Triad we're providing, building a network in the forest, that internet of trees. And once you have an internet of trees, you can then start to think about a whole portfolio of applications that make use of that technology for the benefit and for use cases relevant to forestry.
[00:15:00] And, you know, thinking about soil moisture, thinking about chainsaw detection to prevent illegal logging or gunshot detection to prevent illegal poaching, as well as monitoring the growth of trees to calculate how much CO2 the trees have been sequestering during their lifetime. Or measuring the water that's flowing up to understand about the health of the tree.
[00:15:29] All of these things are possible once you have connectivity in the forest. And that's the fundamental solution we're providing. Now that we've solved that, the connectivity issue, and implemented the most valuable application, which we thought was a wildfire detection, we're now thinking about and starting to work on additional applications.
[00:15:52] As I said, soil moisture, fuel moisture, gunshot detection, chainsaw detection, that are useful for companies, for example, running forestry, but also to utility companies, as well as general forests that are owned by the public.
[00:16:17] So we want to serve both the forestry industry, as well as the public forests for the benefit, actually, of these organizations. And ultimately, also, of course, to help to prevent disastrous developments like fires that are increasingly threatening one of our most vital ecosystems on this planet.
[00:16:46] And as we look ahead, I'm curious how you see this technology evolving. How do you see things like AI, IoT, satellite technologies converging and evolving in their role to combat some other big problems like climate change? We're all seeing the impacts of extreme weather around the world at the moment. And also, what's next for Dryad Networks on this journey, too? Well, I mean, AI is starting to impact pretty much everything.
[00:17:16] It's going to be in our coffee machine and cars. And obviously, we think it needs to also be in the forest. I think AI is going to be everywhere. It's probably more impactful than the Internet was on our daily lives. And that has been quite impactful, I guess. So I think AI is going to help in many ways, including climate change.
[00:17:43] I think we can optimize a lot of our systems, networks and machinery, traffic, and maybe energy production even, using AI-driven systems. So I think AI is a great benefit in many ways.
[00:18:05] If it doesn't mean the end of the civilization, as some people are thinking and worried about, it will probably help to solve most of our problems eventually. I think the debate is still out whether AI in the long term is positive or negative for humanity. But I think it can definitely, if it's being used in the right ways, help to solve a lot of problems.
[00:18:34] Well, there's so much great stuff you're doing here. I'd love to get you back on next year and maybe expand on some of the ways that technology is transforming forestry, forest management, and wildfires, and so much more. But before I let you go, I'm going to have a little bit of fun with you. You've shined a light on this important topic today. I'm going to see if there's something we can do for you in return for sharing your story. Because some of the biggest names in business, VC funding, and tech have either been guests or even listened to this podcast.
[00:19:03] So is that a person you'd love to have a private breakfast or lunch with? Because he or she might just get to hear this. But who would it be? Let's see what we can manifest today. I would choose Mr. Elon Musk for the reason of slapping his bottom, actually. I think he's got a bit crazy, actually, what he's been using his powers of. Well, great choice. Shoot for the moon, I say.
[00:19:33] Let's see what we can make happen there. We'll put it into the universe. And for anyone listening just wanting to find out more information about what you're doing, how you're doing it, how they can get involved, how they can help, or just reach out and ask your team a few questions. Where would you like to point everyone listening? Well, obviously, our company is called Dryad Networks. And the website is www.dryad.net. Dryad actually is from Greek mythology.
[00:19:59] It's basically nymphs or mystic creatures living in symbiosis with the forest. And that's what Dryad stands for. So please come and visit us. Excellent. I'll have links to everything to make it nice and easy for people to find you and connect with you. And I, for one, have learned so much today about how you're providing ultra early detection of wildfires, how you do it, how you get those networks in technologies.
[00:20:29] I love the concept of Internet of Trees in forests. I, for one, will see things so much differently now and just love what you're doing. So I'd love to get you back on next year, see how things are evolving. But thank you for sharing that story with me today. Yeah, thank you for having me. I love from the Internet of Trees to ultra early wildlife to ultra early wildfire detection powered by AI and IoT.
[00:20:54] All these things is enabling Dryad Networks to prove how technology can play a critical role in protecting our planet's forests. And Carsten's insights into the fact that with innovation and collaboration, we can collectively drastically reduce the impact of wildfires while also gain deeper visibility into the forest's health and sustainability. But what role do you see technology playing in tackling environmental challenges like this?
[00:21:23] Do you see AI and connected ecosystems turning the tide on climate change? Love to hear your thoughts on this one. As always, reach out to me. LinkedIn, just at Neil C. Hughes. Same for Twitter and Instagram and all those usual channels. Hit me up on the DMs. Let me know. But it's time for me to go now. I will speak with you all bright and early tomorrow.