VentureWell-supported innovators are developing solutions that help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from one of the most pressing environmental and public safety challenges.
Orange skies. Hazardous air quality. Emergency evacuations. In recent years, the impacts of wildfires have stretched well beyond the fire line. This summer, communities across North America have once again faced an intense wildfire season, with smoke traveling hundreds of miles and degrading air quality far from the flames. Families have evacuated with little notice, ecosystems have been damaged, firefighters continue working under increasingly dangerous conditions, and entire communities are navigating the long road to recovery. As wildfire activity grows more frequent and more severe, the need for new approaches to detection and response has never been greater.
Long before this summer’s wildfire season dominated headlines, entrepreneurs across the VentureWell network were working to develop practical solutions to an increasingly urgent challenge. Here are four innovators translating research into technologies that could help shape the future of fire preparedness, response, and recovery:
1. Elven Technologies: Protecting Against Extreme Heat and Fire
Elven Technologies, a Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) program participant, develops advanced fire-resistant materials that protect against extreme heat and fire across transportation, construction, and specialized applications. The company’s current focus includes protecting lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles and transportation systems, helping prevent battery fires from escalating into catastrophic events. Elven’s pivot from firefighter protective gear to battery safety solutions was shaped by customer discovery conversations with fire departments, reinforcing the importance of building technologies around real-world needs.
2. FNN™: Detecting Wildfires Before They Spread
Founded by Caroline Comeau and Tamas Kereszy, FNN™ (formerly known as Fire Neural Network) employs proprietary, patented AI-powered wildfire detection technology that uses lightning sensors to identify potential fire ignition points in real time. FNN’s technology provides utilities and emergency responders with real-time insights into lightning activity and potential wildfire ignition points, helping them act more quickly. The company participated in NSF I-Corps™ and the NSF SBIR Bootcamp in 2023, and co-founders Comeau and Kereszy were named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
3. Puffin Air Purifiers: Improving Indoor Air Quality
Wildfire smoke can infiltrate homes and buildings, bringing harmful pollutants inside and contributing to poor air quality indoors. At the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Puffin Air Purifiers is addressing that challenge. Led by co-founders Rebecca Lentz and Rachel Silcox with support from Principal Investigator Todd Allen, the 2025 E-Team Program venture is developing technology that monitors and reduces CO₂ levels and other pollutants in residential settings. By combining air monitoring with purification, Puffin helps track air quality in homes and capture excess CO₂ and other harmful gases.
4. Wildfire Edge AI Camera Systems: Using AI To Improve Wildfire Response
Under the guidance of Principal Investigator Lei Yang, co-founders Hossein Jamali and Tina Samavat at the University of Nevada, Reno are developing Wildfire Edge AI Camera Systems, an AI-powered camera system designed to detect wildfires as they begin. Part of VentureWell’s Summer 2026 E-Team Program cohort, the team is developing technology that processes imagery directly at the edge, enabling real-time alerts that can help emergency responders act faster while reducing false alarms.
As wildfire activity grows more frequent and more severe, the need for new approaches to detection and response has never been greater.
The Long View of Innovation
By the time a wildfire makes the evening news, years of research have already shaped the technologies that help detect fires, monitor their spread, and reduce their impact. The most consequential innovations rarely emerge overnight. They are shaped over time through research, testing, learning from users, and refining solutions to address challenges before they become more urgent and difficult to solve.
“What stands out about the work happening across the VentureWell network is that these teams are building practical solutions to challenges people are experiencing every day,” said Tricia Compas-Markman, director of National Venture Programs at VentureWell. “Many of the innovators we support are still early in their journey, but the problems they are working to address have very real and immediate implications for communities. Our role is to provide the support, connections, and resources they need to move those solutions closer to impact.”
The ventures featured here reflect that long view. VentureWell works across every stage of the innovation journey, helping researchers and entrepreneurs translate promising ideas into solutions designed to improve lives and protect the planet. Wildfire technologies are just one example. Across the VentureWell network, innovators are applying science, technology, and entrepreneurship to improve public health, strengthen food systems, advance the blue economy, and address a wide range of complex global challenges. The work takes time, but with the right support, today’s early-stage innovations can become the tools communities need to meet tomorrow’s challenges.