Sound-Powered Fire Protection Startup Raises $15M to Mitigate Catastrophic Fires

For over a century, fire protection has mainly depended on water and chemical solutions. While these methods can prevent catastrophic fires, the expenses involved in cleanup can be substantial.

That situation may soon evolve. Sonic Fire Tech is exploring a sound-based fire protection system that promises to extinguish flames almost instantly while avoiding the complicated aftermath of water and chemical damage. The company revealed on Monday that it has raised $15 million in funding, spearheaded by The O.H.I.O. Fund, with contributions from Khosla Ventures. Previously, the startup secured a $3.5 million seed round in October.

This fresh capital will allow the Ohio-based startup to hire additional staff and conduct the comprehensive testing necessary to obtain approval from the National Fire Protection Association, which develops model codes used by fire departments across the country.

Although the approval process typically spans around three years, co-founder and CEO Geoff Bruder told TechCrunch that Sonic Fire Tech’s timeline could be “significantly shorter.”

Bruder’s optimism stems in part from the distinct advantage of Sonic Fire Tech’s system: it leaves no messy cleanup after fire suppression, potentially speeding up the approval process. Testing is usually done in a lab, requiring significant preparation, but with Sonic Fire Tech’s solution, “they don’t have to do cleanup,” he noted.

This efficiency in laboratory settings could be beneficial for real-world applications. For example, commercial kitchens can face lengthy restoration and cleanup periods following a fire, with roughly 75% of them failing to reopen, as highlighted by Remington Bixby Hotchkis, COO of Sonic Fire Tech, during his conversations with TechCrunch.

Sonic Fire Tech’s cutting-edge fire suppression system utilizes a sound generator that transmits inaudible sounds through PVC pipes installed in the ceiling. When room sensors detect a fire, the generator activates, releasing infrasonic waves at about 20 Hz to target the flames.

“We are the only technology that generates its own suppressant without any collateral damage. False alarms are less of a concern for us,” Hotchkis remarked. “We can deploy within seconds.”

Such swift response times could significantly reduce damage from fires, drawing the interest of the insurance sector. The startup is currently in discussions with insurers to see if their system could qualify for premium discounts, which may lead to quicker adoption of their technology.

The system also shows promise in tackling lithium-ion battery fires, which are notoriously hard to extinguish. In their limited tests so far, Bruder noted, “we don’t fully extinguish a lithium-ion fire, but we contain it.” He added, “If we can prevent the outer casing from igniting, we may be able to minimize cell-to-cell fire spread and limit the overall fire size.”

Sonic Fire Tech is working on systems designed to protect the interiors of commercial buildings, kitchens, and residences, catering to both new constructions and retrofits. The company is also developing a system aimed at safeguarding homes in wildfire-prone areas, although advancements on this project have been slower as they await time at a suitable testing laboratory.

In addition to providing quicker fire suppression, Sonic Fire Tech’s system has the potential to lower restoration costs, if necessary.

Currently, around 500 jurisdictions mandate interior fire protection systems. Bruder emphasizes that 50% of home fires start in kitchens, whether due to grease or electrical problems. Even a small Sonic Fire Tech system configured for kitchen settings could greatly reduce the risk of catastrophic house fires, potentially also lowering insurance premiums. “The sprinklers currently installed cannot manage these types of fires,” Bruder confirmed.