As wildfire risk intensifies across North America, NorthX Climate Tech is doubling down on solutions aimed at prevention, detection, and response, announcing $2.2 million in follow-on investments into three British Columbia–based companies: CRWN.ai, Nova, and Skyward Wildfire Technologies.
The funding targets technologies already being deployed in real-world conditions, with a focus on protecting communities, energy infrastructure, and air quality—core concerns as climate-driven wildfire events grow more frequent and severe.
“Wildfire risk is no longer seasonal, it’s structural,” said Sarah Goodman, President and CEO of NorthX. “These companies are already delivering results in the field, with technologies validated alongside utilities and frontline teams.”
The investments build on NorthX’s 2024 Call for Innovation: Wildfire Tech, Canada’s first dedicated funding program for wildfire-focused technologies, and aim to accelerate commercialization of systems tackling some of the most costly causes of wildfire.
CRWN.ai is developing early warning systems to detect electrical faults on power lines before they ignite fires. New funding will support deployment of up to 500 monitoring devices across B.C. transmission corridors, advancing the company’s AI-driven detection technology from pilot to large-scale field operations.
Nova is scaling its AI-powered wildfire intelligence platform, which converts aerial data into real-time insights for fire crews. Initially validated through drone deployments, the system is now expanding into a multi-platform network integrating data from aircraft, satellites, and ground sensors to support provincial and federal wildfire management.
Skyward Wildfire Technologies is targeting lightning, one of the leading causes of large-scale wildfires in Canada. Its system focuses on preventing ignition events through predictive intelligence and targeted intervention, with new funding supporting broader deployment of its modular, scalable technology.
Together, the companies represent a shift toward proactive wildfire management, moving beyond suppression to prevention and early detection—an increasingly critical priority for utilities, governments, and communities facing rising climate risk.
To date, NorthX has invested more than $52 million into 82 projects, supporting over 800 jobs and catalyzing more than $600 million in follow-on investment.