Sonic Fire Tech, based in the U.S. state of Ohio, announced that it had raised $15 million in a round led by O.H.I.O. Fund, with participation from Khosla Ventures, to develop a sound-wave-based fire-protection system. The company had previously raised $3.5 million in seed funding in October.
The company is betting on extinguishing fires within seconds while reducing the secondary damage caused by water-sprinkler systems or chemical extinguishing agents. It says this approach could be suitable for commercial kitchens, residential buildings, and homes, whether incorporated into new construction or installed in existing buildings.
How Does the System Work?
The system relies on a sound generator that pumps inaudible waves through PVC pipes mounted in ceilings. When sensors detect a fire breaking out inside a room, the generator begins sending infrasonic waves of approximately 20 hertz toward the flames.
According to the company, this method leaves no residue requiring cleanup after the extinguishing process and can be deployed within seconds. Sonic Fire Tech officials believe that the absence of cleanup work could be useful during laboratory testing, since preparing conventional testing equipment takes hours and may require removing traces of water or chemicals after each experiment.
Funding Paves the Way for Testing and Certification
The company will use the new investment to hire more employees and carry out the series of tests required to obtain approval from the National Fire Protection Association, the body that develops model codes adopted by fire departments across the United States. Approval usually takes about three years, but co-founder and CEO Geoff Bruder believes that the procedures for his company’s system could be much shorter.
This does not mean that the system has received approval or become widely available; the company is still in the testing and development phase. Reducing subsequent damage may help in the evaluation process, but it does not eliminate the need to demonstrate the system’s effectiveness and safety under multiple conditions.
What Changes in Practice for Users?
Sonic Fire Tech is targeting a problem that extends beyond extinguishing the flames themselves. Commercial kitchens may need months to clean up and recover after a fire, and the company says that approximately 75% of them do not reopen. Therefore, a system that reduces water and chemical damage could limit the cost of restoring the site and the downtime, if it proves effective.
The company is also in discussions with insurance companies to determine whether the system would qualify users for discounts on premiums. Acceptance by the insurance sector could help accelerate adoption of the technology, but any discounts or related conditions have not yet been finalized.
Current Usage Limitations
Limited tests of the system have shown promising performance against lithium-ion battery fires, but it has not yet succeeded in extinguishing the fire completely. According to Bruder, the system was able to contain the fire, which could help prevent the outer casing from igniting and reduce the spread of flames between cells.
The company is also working on systems to protect indoor spaces in buildings, kitchens, and homes, in addition to a system to protect home exteriors in areas exposed to wildfires. However, development of the exterior solution is progressing more slowly because the company is waiting for time at a suitable testing laboratory. Sonic Fire Tech indicates that approximately 50% of home fires start in the kitchen, while nearly 500 local authorities require indoor fire-protection systems, giving it potential markets if it passes the testing and certification stages.