Overstory secures $43M to scale AI that helps prevent wildfires and protect power grids
Overstory, an AI-powered grid resilience platform shifting how utilities protect communities from outages and wildfires, announced $43M in Series B funding. The round was led by Blume Equity, with participation from Energy Impact Partners LP ("EIP") and existing investors including B Capital, Semapa Next, Pale Blue Dot, CapitalT, Convective Capital, Bentley Systems, MCJ and Moxxie Ventures. The company will use the funding to accelerate development of its AI-based risk models, advance its wildfire prevention offering, and expand globally.
For utilities, vegetation is not only the leading cause of outages and wildfires, but often the single largest operational expense. In recent years, tree mortality, labor costs, demand and extreme weather events have all increased, driving utilities to find new ways to sharpen how they manage vegetation to build more resilience and reliability. Overstory uses high-resolution satellite data and AI to help utilities pinpoint risks tree by tree – reducing outages, preventing wildfires, and ensuring power remains safe, reliable, and affordable.
"Innovation and technology have become the pillars of progress when it comes to wildfire prevention," said Andy Abranches, VP of Wildfire Mitigation at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). "Satellite data, AI and the vegetation-management intelligence we get from companies like Overstory are transforming how utilities think about wildfire prevention. The details are in the data, and that precision allows us to deploy our crews where wildfire risk is greatest."
Michelle Capiod, Co-Founding Partner at Blume Equity, said: "The companies that will drive the greatest impact on our planet are those that deliver climate solutions with real economic value. Overstory exemplifies this — transforming satellite data into actionable insights that help utilities both prevent climate-related disasters and drive operational efficiencies. Their customer-first approach and leadership in AI has enabled them to develop cutting-edge, yet highly practical, solutions that deliver a tangible return on investment. This is exactly the kind of scalable, high impact climate solution we're proud to support at Blume Equity."
The funding follows seven years of catalytic growth, with Overstory now serving six of the ten largest utilities across the Americas. The team has grown to more than 80 people, representing 16 nationalities and spanning disciplines from machine learning and data science to arborists and wildfire experts. Guiding the company's next phase will be its new Chief Operating Officer, Tamara Mendelsohn. A seasoned operator and former Eventbrite CMO, Mendelsohn brings experience in scaling a company from seed stage to IPO.
"Utilities are at a pivotal moment, facing more extreme weather events every year," said James Sprinz, Principal at EIP. "Overstory is tackling this challenge in a way that utilities can act on immediately, making sense of satellite data to spot the exact tree to trim, pole to clear, or asset to replace."
Author
Explore
Related posts.
Subscribe to the newsletter!
Stay up to date with the latest news & resources from the impact-driven startup world!
.png)
