Prime Minute Raises $15 Million for Tech-Enabled Wildfire Suppression
Veteran-founded Prime Minute has secured $15 million in pre-seed funding to combat wildfires using AI and military-grade strategy. The company aims to enhance natural disaster response capabilities.
Prime Minute, a technology company founded by veterans, has announced the closing of a $15 million pre-seed funding round. The capital will be used to develop and deploy advanced technology aimed at combating wildfires, integrating artificial intelligence and military-grade strategic planning.
The company's mission is to become a primary contractor for disaster response. Prime Minute's team comprises U.S. and Israeli veterans, alongside former employees from technology firms such as Palantir. They have developed Precision Guided Suppression Units (PGSU), designed for rapid and accurate initial attacks on nascent wildfires.
These aircraft-deployable units, approximately half the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, utilize GPS for navigation. Equipped with four wings and four motorized fins, they can precisely target fires even in low-visibility conditions like darkness or high winds. Each unit can deliver around 110 gallons of water, enhanced water, or fire retardant.
The PGSU operates in conjunction with Prime Minute's AI-powered system, which generates optimal air-drop plans for fire suppression. The company has conducted field tests of its technology in Colorado, Oregon, Israel, and Uganda. Prime Minute states that current aerial firefighting methods often suffer from water evaporation or dispersal by wind before reaching the fire's source.