Wildfire detection startup SenseNet buys US competitor

A Canadian wildfire-detection startup is buying a US competitor’s business amid disastrous wildfires on both sides of the border.

Vancouver-based SenseNet is acquiring the wildfire technology business of US company N5 Sensors, as the Canadian startup aims to grow its US presence. As part of the deal, all of N5’s wildfire division team will join SenseNet, as will its specialized fire sensors and client base. The deal’s financial details were not disclosed. The transaction closed in August.

“We wanted to enter the [US] market strong,” SenseNet founder and CEO Hamed Noori said in an interview with BetaKit. “We wanted to improve our technology to make sure that [it] stayed the best on the market.”

By buying a US-owned company division, SenseNet is bucking a trend in Canadian tech of domestic companies getting scooped up.

A graduate of TiE Vancouver’s Incubation Lab, SenseNet was founded in 2019, initially offering a sensor network to quickly and effectively detect the start and spread of wildfires. Since then, Noori said, it has grown into more of a comprehensive platform, with predictive analytics about how fires might behave, long-range AI-powered cameras to capture activity, satellite and drone connections, and recommendations to help manage fire spread.

Its customer base is 65 percent in the private sector—including heavy industries like construction and mining, as well as telcos like Rogers—and 35 percent in the public sector. Noori told BetaKit that the company is generating roughly $10 million CAD in annual revenue.

Rockville, Md.-based N5 Sensors has built sensor hardware that it says can detect hazardous chemicals—with applications in military situations, public safety, and transportation infrastructure, according to its website. In 2022, N5 launched its wildfire sensor network N5SHIELD, which aims to detect and track wildfire locations.

In addition to fire departments in California, N5’s wildfire business has contracted with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deploy its fire detection sensors. However, a DHS report from April 2026 found that the company’s sensors did not consistently detect fires or provide early fire warnings, due to technological limitations and environmental factors like wind impacts.

In response to BetaKit’s query about this report, Noori said the company was aware, and it had “no impact on our decision” to buy N5’s wildfire business. “We’re confident all of N5’s existing customers will have the world’s most advanced wildfire detection platform after upgrading to our full suite,” Noori wrote.

With its acquisition of N5’s wildfire division, Noori hopes to create a “full-service” wildfire mitigation business. This year’s wildfire season is set to be Canada’s fourth-worst on record. According to Public Safety Canada, more than 4.1 million hectares had burned across 4,793 fires by Aug. 18. This includes the largest wildfire in Ontario’s history in Thunder Bay, which destroyed entire communities, including Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, and the Summerland, BC wildfire that forced thousands to evacuate and left one woman dead. On its website, SenseNet says its sensors and cameras are actively monitoring more than 300 million acres of land for fires.

By buying a US-owned company division, SenseNet is bucking a recent trend in Canadian tech of domestic companies getting scooped up. In this case, the Vancouver company’s experience in dealing with worsening blazes up north has allowed it to help regions of the US that aren’t accustomed to battling wildfires.

Noori said that SenseNet is targeting states such as Tennessee, which he said have fewer fire-detection solutions, as well as states that are more accustomed to fire risk, like Colorado and parts of California. It also plans to open an office in the US.

SenseNet, which currently has just over 50 employees, says it will count 100 employees by the end of this year, including the acquisition.

Feature image courtesy SenseNet.