Dryad Networks

Dryad Networks is a Berlin-based company that uses a large-scale IoT sensor network, Silvanet, to provide ultra-early forest fire detection and analysis for public and private forests. Dryad's wireless environmental sensor network is based on LoRaWAN mesh networking infrastructure, the leading open standard for long-range wireless IoT networks. Dryad’s technology uses gas sensors that are trained to detect smoke, and it sends alerts once gas is detected. The data collected by the network is processed using cloud-based big data tools for analysis, monitoring, and alerting. The company’s business model blends hardware sales with platform subscriptions. The solution is already deployed with private and public clients in Europe, South America, and the US, with plans to further scale in the US and into Canada.

The Bosch BME688 sensors used in Silvanet sensor devices also collect environmental data, which is periodically sent to the Silvanet Cloud, allowing forest owners to understand the microclimate of the forest. Dryad’s solution is capable of operating in remote regions and uses IoT technology to extend the mobile network's coverage areas. The gateways and the sensors support firmware updates over-the-air (FUOTA), which enable the company to remotely update the embedded software and avoid any need to manually upgrade or update the devices.

Silvanet claims to detect fires between zero to 60 minutes, even during their early smoldering phase. Dryad Networks also expects to increase the number of wireless sensors manufactured, from 10,000 units sold in 2022 to 230,000 in 2023. As of September 2022, the company had 12 proofs of concepts taking place in America, Europe, Canada, and Asia. By 2030, Dryad aimed to to deploy 120 million sensors around the world, all of which are manufactured in Germany, to protect nearly four million hectares of forest and prevent 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions.

Key customers and partnerships

• In November 2022, the company partnered with Pacific Gas & Electric to demonstrate Silvanet in Northern California.

• In March 2023, Dryad collaborated with Vodafone to provide the communications infrastructure to support Silvanet and take the technology to Spain.

• In April 2023, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) partnered with Dryad Networks to pilot wildfire detection technology to improve fire detection speeds, trialing 400 of Dryad’s sensors in Jackson Demonstration State Forest.

• In June 2024, Dryad Networks partnered with Kinéis Partner for a satellite-enabled wildfire early detection project.

Dryad’s customers include municipalities, private forest owners, and utility companies globally. As of April 2023, the company also had agreements with 30 resellers across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.