Gaia AI has secured a $3M Pre-Seed to use autonomous vehicle technology for forest management and carbon credit verification. This round was led by E14 with participation from Ubiquity Ventures, Space Capital, and SOSV’s HAX.

Gaia AI is adapting LiDAR and computer vision/AI technology from the autonomous vehicle industry into a mobile tool for foresters to autonomously collect high quality below-canopy forest data. Traditionally, this data collection process, known as “cruises”, was done by hand, requiring considerable labor and capital. With Gaia AI’s solution, foresters receive a sensor backpack paired with a mobile application that provides in-depth information about their forests in real-time. In this solution, satellites and LiDAR are used to accelerate the data collection process by 100x and provide unique opportunities to verify carbon credit additionality.

“We recognize the value and expertise that foresters bring to the forest. Our automated data collection process adds to foresters’ existing skill set by seamlessly integrating into their existing workflows. By augmenting a forester’s capabilities we are able to help the experts, foresters, make data driven decisions that optimize both carbon impact and financial bottom line” said Peter McHale, Co-Founder and CEO of Gaia AI.”

The startup is in discussions with three of the largest timber companies in the world, with plans to deploy its backpack for pilot programs in Q1 of 2023.

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