On this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I sit down with Carsten Brinkschulte, co-founder and CEO of Dryad Networks, to uncover how a seasoned telecom entrepreneur pivoted from software to saving forests.

Carsten explains how witnessing devastating wildfires and his own daughter’s climate activism pushed him to found Dryad Networks, a company deploying solar-powered sensors and mesh networks deep into forests to detect wildfires before they spread. We dive into what it takes to build rugged IoT devices for some of the world’s harshest, most remote environments, how Dryad trains edge AI to sniff out the gas signatures of a forest fire, and why satellite partnerships are vital to keeping the network online when traditional connectivity vanishes.

He also shares hard-earned insights on scaling hardware startups, building trust with governments and forestry organisations worldwide, and balancing climate impact goals with commercial reality.

This episode is a masterclass for anyone interested in climate tech, IoT innovation, or the grit required to turn a fresh idea into a global venture that could prevent millions of hectares from going up in smoke.

Tune in and get inspired by a founder turning sensors, AI and satellite links into tools for fighting climate change—one forest at a time.