National Science Foundation ASCEND Engine and OroraTech USA Announce Partnership to Advance Wildfire Intelligence Across Colorado and Wyoming
Fort Collins, CO – October 21st, 2025 — The National Science Foundation ASCEND Engine, led by Innosphere, and OroraTech USA are proud to announce a strategic partnership to strengthen wildfire intelligence across Wyoming and Colorado. By combining OroraTech USA’s real-time thermal intelligence platform with NSF ASCEND Engine’s regional research and innovation system, the collaboration supports wildfire monitoring efforts, scientific research, and the development of new community resilience tools.
“OroraTech brings a key piece of the puzzle to wildfire preparedness and response,” says Dr. Sam Malloy, Research and Development Director at the NSF ASCEND Engine. “We seek to foster collaboration opportunities that are mutually beneficial to OroraTech and our partners in academic and federal research laboratories developing fundamental technologies that can enhance the state of the art in thermal imaging and its applicability to operational decision support tools.”
As part of the agreement, both organizations will facilitate areas of collaboration, with a focus on wildfire preparedness and response. As a regional ecosystem builder, the NSF ASCEND Engine will then facilitate connections between OroraTech and relevant project teams. This helps to support ongoing efforts across the region to address wildfire risk and other critical resilience challenges.
“As the western U.S. faces increasingly severe fire seasons, access to accurate and timely wildfire data is critical,” said Thomas Gruebler, CEO of OroraTech USA. “Through this partnership with the NSF ASCEND Engine, we aim to accelerate innovation and support the development of technologies that make communities more resilient in the face of environmental risks."
The partnership will focus on advancing innovation in thermal imaging, data assimilation, and scientific machine learning, strengthening a shared commitment to community resilience through ecosystem building and technological innovation.
Innosphere/ASCEND continues to seek corporate partnerships that strengthen the ASCEND Engine’s mission. For more information, visit www.co-wyengine.org.
About OroraTech USA:
OroraTech USA is the American division of OroraTech, the global leader in space-based thermal intelligence. Through its proprietary wildfire satellite constellation and Wildfire Solution platform, OroraTech delivers a dedicated wildfire management platform focused on real-time insights that deliver real-time situational awareness and prompt risk alerts. Since 2022, OroraTech has established the world’s largest satellite network dedicated to wildfire management, delivering real-time situational awareness and prompt risk alerts. The cutting-edge system detects fires of any scale, day or night, ensuring timely action. OroraTech USA is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with the parent company located in Germany, Greece, Australia, Brazil, and Canada. A dedicated team of over 170 experts is committed to delivering innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
About the NSF ASCEND Engine:
Led by Innosphere and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), with support from the State of Colorado and the State of Wyoming, the NSF ASCEND Engine is a collaborative initiative focused on driving innovation in climate resiliency across the Colorado-Wyoming region. The NSF ASCEND Engine brings together a diverse network of partners to develop and commercialize technologies that address critical community resiliency challenges, foster economic growth and enhance community well-being.
Visit www.co-wyengine.org for more information.