DroneSeed Raises $36M to Reforest After Wildfires

DroneSeed has raised $36 million in its Series A funding round. The round was led by Social Capital and Seven Seven Six, with participation from new and existing investors. Part of these funds were used to acquire Silvaseed, a 130-year-old forestry company, to expand DroneSeed’s seed collection and seedling cultivation services.

“Recent data has shown that natural forest regeneration is in significant decline due to the size and severity of fires which destroy seed sources. Fire season is expected to only get worse because of climate change,” said Grant Canary, DroneSeed CEO.

A pioneer in climate tech and post-wildfire reforestation, DroneSeed is the only company approved by the FAA to deploy a fleet of heavy-lift drones to reforest after wildfires, enabling healthy forest regrowth. This year, wildfires across the U.S. have already burned 6 million acres, demonstrating the growing need for reforestation services that DroneSeed offers.

“Global reforestation is key to our fight against climate change,” said Jay Zaveri, a partner at Social Capital.

DroneSeed can drop seed vessels within 30 days after a fire, compared to traditional methods which can take years of waiting to replant. After it reforests burned land, DroneSeed sells the resulting carbon credits to organizations looking to go carbon neutral or negative.

“DroneSeed is using technology to restore forests faster and help save our planet,” said Katelin Holloway, founding partner at Seven Seven Six who is joining the board as an observer. “We are thrilled to support them as they take on an incredibly important global challenge: climate change.”