Veteran technology and finance executive of Nielson, Amazon, Delta Airlines, NBC to chair the board's audit committee

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sierra Space, a defense-tech space company delivering solutions for the nation's most critical missions and advancing the future of security in space, today announced the appointment of Warren Jenson to its board of directors. Jenson will serve as chair of the board's audit committee, bringing more than three decades of financial, operational and technology leadership experience at some of the world's leading companies.

"Warren's experience spans technology, media, aviation and entertainment, giving him a rare, cross-industry view of how businesses navigate complex private and public capital markets," said Fatih Ozmen, founder and chair of the board of Sierra Space. "That breadth of perspective, paired with his deep financial expertise and public-company rigor, makes him exceptionally well suited to chair our audit committee. We are pleased to welcome Warren to the board as Sierra Space continues to execute its strategy and strengthen the company for what lies ahead."

Jenson has held senior executive roles across the technology, media, aviation and entertainment industries. He currently serves as chief financial officer of Polymarket. Most recently, he served as president and chief financial officer of Nielsen. Previously, he was president, CFO and executive managing director of international at LiveRamp. Earlier in his career, Jenson served as CFO of Electronic Arts, Amazon, Delta Air Lines and NBC. Jenson currently serves on the boards of DigitalOcean, Ripple, Dropbox, bringing extensive corporate governance experience across technology and global businesses. He also chairs the audit committees of DigitalOcean and Dropbox.

"I've spent my career helping companies grow from ambitious ideas into disciplined, enduring businesses—from Amazon and Electronic Arts in their growth years to Nielsen and LiveRamp," said Warren Jenson. "Sierra Space is at a similarly pivotal stage, with an opportunity to translate extraordinary technical capability into sustained growth. I'm looking forward to helping the board and management team build the financial discipline this mission demands."

"Warren understands what it takes to build and operate complex businesses at scale," said Dan Jablonsky, CEO of Sierra Space. "His perspective as both a seasoned global operator, executive and experienced board director will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our business, expand our capabilities and deliver on increasingly complex missions for our customers. I look forward to working with Warren and drawing on his experience as we position Sierra Space for long-term growth."

About Sierra Space

With more than three decades of spaceflight heritage and a track record supporting more than 500 missions, Sierra Space is a defense-tech space company headquartered in Colorado, with operations nationwide. Across our two business segments—Satellites & Spacecraft Missions and Space Subsystems—we design, manufacture, and deliver a diverse portfolio of satellites, space transportation vehicles, and space subsystems, including power and precision systems, hypersonics and propulsion, and in-space infrastructure.

With expansive classified and unclassified infrastructure and flight-proven technology, Sierra Space supports national security, civil, and commercial customers, safeguarding the nation, protecting space-based assets, and supporting space exploration and economic development.

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New platform reflects BPD's evolution as a strategic growth partner and calls on health organizations to pursue growth that expands access, fuels innovation and strengthens healthcare.

BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BPD Health today launched its new identity and brand platform, It's Good to Grow, reflecting the company's evolution as a strategic growth partner to organizations across the health industry.

The new platform focuses on the role organizational growth can play in enabling health organizations the strength to invest, innovate and expand their impact.

"We believe a stronger U.S. healthcare industry requires stronger health organizations," said Jason Brown, CEO and cofounder of BPD Health. "Growth gives organizations the ability to do more of what healthcare needs right now. It creates the strength to invest in clinicians, technology and new models of care. It funds the next breakthrough and gives great ideas the chance to scale. That's what we mean by good growth: growth that makes healthcare stronger and connects more Americans to better health."

The new identity marks the latest chapter in BPD's evolution over more than two decades, from BPD Advertising to BPD Healthcare and now BPD Health. That evolution reflects the company's expansion from a healthcare marketing agency to a broader strategic growth partner serving health systems, life sciences companies, health innovators, healthcare associations and consumer health brands.

Growth as a Strategy for Healthcare Progress

It's Good to Grow reflects BPD Health's belief that sustainable growth can help health organizations expand access, invest in innovation and strengthen the communities they serve.

For hospitals and health systems, growth can create the financial strength to sustain critical services, recruit clinicians, invest in technology and expand access. For life sciences companies, it can fund the next breakthrough and help it reach more people. For health innovators, growth can take an idea that works and give it the scale to change lives.

BPD Health is part of MJH Life Sciences, whose portfolio spans healthcare communications, education, research and physician engagement.

"The biggest problems in healthcare will require big swings," said Mike Hennessy Jr., chairman and CEO of MJH Life Sciences. "That takes organizations with the strength to invest in new ideas and the ambition to challenge how things have always been done. BPD Health is built to help health organizations pursue that kind of growth."

The brand evolution follows a year of investment in BPD's enterprise growth capabilities, including the introduction of bpDNA, its enterprise growth system; Signals Intelligence, which brings together market, consumer, physician and business intelligence; and Violet, its AI platform. Together, they help organizations identify the right growth opportunities and act on them faster with innovative, creative and strategic solutions.

"The industry is changing at an extraordinary pace, and we've evolved alongside the organizations we serve," Brown said. "BPD Health reflects who we are and where our business is going: bringing together intelligence, strategy, creativity and technology to help health organizations grow stronger and create greater impact in the world."

For more information, please contact:

Nicole James

SVP, Communications

[email protected] 

734-358-9247

About BPD Health

BPD Health is a strategic growth partner to healthcare organizations. BPD helps organizations grow through work that enhances market position, workforce engagement, physician referrals, patient demand, payer relations and community impact into one coordinated growth system. The system combines BPD's proprietary healthcare data and intelligence through its Signals Intelligence platform with expertise across strategic advisory, activation and automation to identify growth opportunities and act on them. BPD Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of MJH Life Sciences. Learn more at bpdhealth.com.

SOURCE BPD Healthcare

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Horizon Treatment Services Moves Forward With 69-Bed Recovery Center in Burlingame

BURLINGAME, Calif., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Treatment Services will move forward with plans to develop a 69-bed Recovery Center (HRC) at 826 Mahler Road in Burlingame following approval from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to relocate the project's state funding and approval by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to provide a $2.5 million local match.

Supported by a $25.5 million state Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) grant, the project will bring sobering, withdrawal management, and residential treatment services together at one location, expanding access to medically supervised substance use disorder treatment and recovery services for the residents of San Mateo County. The progress of the Horizon Recovery Center (HRC) continues to reflect a strong partnership with San Mateo County, driven by a shared commitment to providing residents with a safer, stronger public health infrastructure.

"Access to treatment is half the battle, and adding 69 beds of integrated treatment capacity will surely be a big step forward for San Mateo County residents. We've seen firsthand how the quality of a facility can make or break a patient's behavioral health outcomes, so we're happy to lead the charge in modernizing the County's treatment infrastructure," said Jaime Campos, CEO of Horizon Treatment Services.

In addition to increased community engagement, the next phase of the project will include pre-development activities such development of design drawings.

Horizon Treatment Services looks forward to continuing its partnership with San Mateo County and engaging with Burlingame residents and community stakeholders as the Horizon Recovery Center moves toward development.

For additional information on the Horizon Recovery Center or to join the virtual office hours, please visit www.horizonsanmateo.org. For more information about Horizon Treatment Services, please visit www.horizonservices.org.

About Horizon Treatment Services

Horizon Services, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency specializing in substance use disorder treatment and serving Bay Area communities since 1976. Spanning multiple Bay Area counties including San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara, in addition to rural Northern California counties such as Butte and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Horizon reaches some 15,000 community members struggling with substance-use challenges across Sobering Center, Residential, Detox and Outpatient Counseling programs. Horizon's in-school prevention programs impact over 22,000 youth annually at over 21 schools in an effort to educate about both risk and protective factors associated with high-risk drug and alcohol use.

Media Contact:

Carlos Wilson

Marketing and Development Manager

[email protected]

845.242.4440

SOURCE Horizon Services, Inc.

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Historic Cooperstown-area destination earns its second national #1 ranking in three years

FLY CREEK, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard has been voted the Best Cidery in the United States in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, earning the historic Upstate New York destination its second #1 national ranking in three years.

Fly Creek was named America's Best Cidery in 2024 and finished #3 nationally in 2025. The USA TODAY 10Best competition nominated leading cideries from across the country, with the final rankings determined by public voting.

"To be recognized as America's Best Cidery for the second time in three years is an extraordinary honor," said owner Bill Michaels. "This recognition belongs to our dedicated staff and the generations of customers who have made Fly Creek part of their visits to the Cooperstown region. We are tremendously grateful to everyone who voted for us."

Located three miles from Cooperstown, Fly Creek Cider Mill has evolved from a traditional 19th-century cider mill into a nationally recognized agritourism destination while preserving the historical authenticity that has defined the property for generations.

Built in 1856, the Mill still produces cider using its historic 1889 Boomer & Boschert rack-and-cloth press powered by water from the Millpond. A 1872 water turbine harnesses a 10-foot head of water to operate the historic equipment, allowing visitors to experience the sights, sounds and aromas of traditional cider-making much as generations before them did.

"Historical authenticity is something we pride ourselves on," Michaels said. "Our equipment isn't here simply for display. We continue to use water power and our 1889 press to make cider while giving visitors the opportunity to watch the process. It creates a connection between New York's agricultural heritage, its industrial history and the experience we offer today."

Over the years, Fly Creek has expanded the experience to include branded specialty-food retail, a restaurant and bakery, a tasting room featuring New York hard ciders and wines, family attractions and seasonal events.

Fresh cider pressing for the 2026 harvest is underway, and the Mill is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through December 20.

About Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard:

Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard is a family-owned historic agritourism destination located three miles from Cooperstown, New York. Since 1856, the Mill has combined cider-making tradition, New York agriculture and hospitality to create a distinctive visitor experience.

Media Contact:

H. William (Bill) Michaels

Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard

flycreekcidermill.com

(607) 547-9692 x111

SOURCE Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard Inc.

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Paratus Energy: Announcement of Board Changes

HAMILTON, Bermuda, September 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Paratus Energy Services Ltd. (ticker: PLSV) ("Paratus" or the "Company") announces that Mr. Dag Skindlo has informed the Board of Directors that he will step down as a member of the Board of Directors with effect from 23 September 2026 in order to focus on his executive role and other commitments.

The Board would like to thank Mr. Skindlo for his valuable contribution to the Company and wishes him every success.

The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Lars Pedersen to the Board of Directors with effect from 23 September 2026.

Mr. Pedersen is an international maritime executive with more than 35 years of leadership experience across shipping and offshore support services. He has spent the past eight years with Frontline Management AS, where he serves as Chief Technical Officer, leading global fleet operations, digital transformation, ESG initiatives and strategic growth, while also serving as Managing Director of Flex LNG Fleet Management. Previously, he held senior leadership positions with BW Group, A.P. Moller–Maersk and Höegh. Mr. Pedersen brings extensive expertise in corporate governance, artificial intelligence, sale and purchase (S&P), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and major shipbuilding programmes in China and South Korea. He also serves on the boards of Arundo Analytics, Northern Ocean and Archer,a and has completed the Executive Board Leadership Programme at Copenhagen Business School.

For additional information, please contact:

Baton Haxhimehmedi, CFO and Interim CEO

[email protected] 

+47 406 39 083

About Paratus

Paratus Energy Services Ltd. (ticker: PLSV) is an investment holding company with a 50% joint venture interest in Seagems. Seagems is a leading subsea services company that owns and operates a fleet of six multi-purpose pipe-laying support vessels, providing support, installation, flexible pipe-laying and construction services. All vessels are currently operating under contracts in Brazil.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, Calif., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Climate Cooling Initiative connects science, restoration, finance, policy, and implementation to strengthen Earth's nature-based climate-cooling systems.

Climate Cooling Initiative brings together science, restoration, finance, policy, and implementation to protect, restore, and strengthen Earth's nature-based climate-cooling systems.

The Climate Cooling Initiative (CCI) today announced the launch of a new international effort to protect, restore, and strengthen Earth's nature-based climate-cooling systems at consequential scale. CCI is grounding its efforts in a significant new synthesis paper Cooling Climate Quickly: A New Perspective Yields New Options which attributes a significant amount of global warming to the loss of healthy, functioning ecosystems, which in turn clarifies options for quickly restoring that cooling function.

For decades, climate action has focused primarily on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. That work remains essential. But reducing emissions alone does not address another critical part of the climate system: the loss and degradation of forests, wetlands, soils, grasslands, and other ecosystems that naturally help cool the planet.

Healthy ecosystems regulate water and energy flows, generate clouds and rainfall, moderate temperatures, store carbon, and support resilient landscapes. Protecting and restoring these systems can strengthen the planet's natural cooling capacity while the world continues the essential work of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and atmospheric greenhouse-gas concentrations.

The Climate Cooling Initiative is working to make this opportunity visible, measurable, financeable, and actionable—connecting what is already working, accelerating promising approaches, and demonstrating measurable climate-cooling impact.

"Our goal is to establish nature-based climate cooling as a recognized and measurable component of global climate action," said Jon Schull. "Reducing emissions remains essential. At the same time, protecting, restoring, and strengthening Earth's nature-based climate-cooling systems gives us an opportunity to act now on the living systems that regulate heat, water, energy, clouds, and rainfall."

Initial priorities include strengthening the scientific foundation for nature-based climate cooling; identifying where protection and restoration can have the greatest impact; helping promising approaches move from science and demonstration toward implementation; improving measurement and verification of climate-cooling processes and outcomes; developing financial and investment pathways; advancing enabling policy; and building broader understanding of the role living systems play in regulating climate.

The Initiative's long-term ambition is not simply to slow the rate of warming, but to help bend the curve toward actual cooling. The goal is to help slow the rate of warming over the coming decade, move the climate toward stabilization, and work toward a sustained decline in mean land and ocean temperatures—while building the scientific, financial, policy, and implementation capacity required for measurable climate cooling at consequential scale.

The Climate Cooling Initiative is supported by a growing number of partner organizations including 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People, Biodiversity for Livable Climate, The Biomimicry Institute, Buckminster Fuller Institute, Climate Foundation, Conservation Biology Institute, EcoRestoration Alliance, Lo-TEK Institute + Lo-TEK Office, and WeForest.

About Climate Cooling Initiative

CCI brings together scientists, Indigenous leaders, restoration practitioners, policymakers, funders, businesses, and partner organizations working across disciplines and geographies. Rather than creating a new centralized system, the Initiative is designed to connect and strengthen existing knowledge, organizations, projects, tools, networks, capabilities, and resources and help move effective approaches toward implementation at consequential scale.

Media Contact:

The Climate Cooling Initiative

Full Name: Dr. Stuart Cowan

Title: Executive Director, Buckminster Fuller Institute

Direct Phone Number: +1 (503) 724-3329

Email Address: [email protected]

Organization Website with paper and short film: ClimateCoolingInitiative.earth

Press Contact:

Dr. Stuart Cowan

+1 (503) 724-3329

climatecoolinginitiative.earth/

SOURCE Climate Cooling Initiative

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fuel Cycle, Fuel Cycle, a US-based AI-powered consumer insights and market research platform, today announced the opening of its Global Capability Center (GCC) in Navi Mumbai, marking an expansion of the company's global technology and product operations. Located in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, the center will serve as a strategic hub for Engineering, AI and Product Development. The GCC is being set up with an initial planned capacity of 50, with room to scale further over the coming quarters. The company aims to invest in scaling the centre, which is expected to become a key part of Fuel Cycle's global product and technology organization.

The Navi Mumbai GCC is part of Fuel Cycle's broader vision to build the technology infrastructure for the next generation of market research. As organizations look to understand customers faster and make decisions using a wider set of consumer signals, Fuel Cycle is bringing AI, research methodologies, owned customer communities and behavioral data into a connected platform. The India centre will contribute to this vision by building core product capabilities and strengthening engineering and data infrastructure and working closely with teams across the US and other global markets. The expansion also reflects the company's long-term focus on tapping India's technology and AI talent to build products for a global customer base.

Commenting on the announcement, Daryush Laqab, Chief Product and AI Officer, Fuel Cycle, said, "The way enterprises understand consumers is entering a fundamental transition. AI is creating an opportunity to move from fragmented research and point-in-time insights towards systems that learn continuously and help teams make decisions much faster. Our Navi Mumbai centre will be an important part of building that future. We see India not simply as a delivery location, but as a strategic product and AI hub where teams can help shape the technologies that will define the next generation of market research. Over the coming years, we intend to build deep capabilities here across AI, engineering and product development while creating opportunities for teams in India to work on technology with global impact."

Going forward, Fuel Cycle plans to focus on hiring talent across AI/ML, data engineering, product engineering, UX, research technology, cloud infrastructure, etc. Over the next 3-4 years, the GCC is expected to take on greater ownership of global product development, supporting Fuel Cycle's broader roadmap to build a more AI-native and continuously learning consumer insights platform.

About Fuel Cycle

Fuel Cycle helps leading brands build deeper, more continuous understanding of their customers. Our AI-powered platform brings together owned customer communities, behavioral and insights data, and every research method, including quantitative, qualitative and UX research, helping teams get to better answers faster. With every study building on what came before, Fuel Cycle helps organizations learn continuously, move faster and make more informed business decisions.

Media Contact

Kalyn Stockman

Manager, Corporate Marketing

SOURCE Fuel Cycle

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Three-year extension brings Robot.com's autonomous delivery to more than 20 active campuses across the Grubhub campus platform as the 2026-2027 back-to-school season kicks off

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Robot.com®, the company putting autonomous robots to work in the real world, and Grubhub, the leading ordering platform in higher education, are bringing autonomous delivery to 10 additional campuses for the 2026-2027 school year. The expansion brings the total number of active Robot.com deployments across the Grubhub Campus platform to more than 20 nationwide and is supported by a three-year extension of the companies' current agreement.

Grubhub originally signed Robot.com as a robot delivery partner across its campus network in 2022. Since then, the relationship has expanded steadily, with Robot.com's fleet fully integrated into the Grubhub ordering platform and operations established across multiple years of active deployment.

The extension reflects the strength of that operational track record and Robot.com's commitment to scaling autonomous delivery as a core part of its campus offering, and expands the relationship to include robot advertising through Robot.com's R-ads™. The smart advertising platform turns the same robots doing delivery into interactive brand experiences for students.

"Grubhub has been one of our most important long-term partners, and this extension is a reflection of what we've built together," said J. Kim Fennell, Chief Business Officer of Robot.com. "Four years of operations across our mutual campuses have given us a level of integration and reliability that is hard to replicate. We are proud of what the relationship has become and excited to bring that expertise to 10 new campuses this fall."

Robot.com's deployments on the Grubhub platform handle the realities of campus delivery, fulfilling orders for the most popular restaurants on campuses, operating in inclement weather, and sustaining high order volume throughout the school year. At the University of Southern Indiana, one of the original campuses under the agreement, the fleet has completed more than 25,000 deliveries. At Loyola Marymount University, order volume grew nearly 70% and active users increased nearly 30% in Q1 2026 versus the prior quarter, demonstrating how quickly autonomous delivery gains traction on campus.

"We've had a front-row seat as autonomous delivery reshapes the campus dining experience," said Rob DelaCruz, SVP and GM of Grubhub Campus. "When students have easy, on-demand access to delivery, it quickly becomes part of their daily routine. Together with Robot.com, we've seen this experience quickly become part of campus life. We're excited to bring autonomous delivery to 10 additional campuses this year, giving more students the convenience and flexibility they've come to expect while continuing to raise the bar for campus dining."

Robot.com's campus deployments run on REMI, the company's proprietary fleet management platform and physical API layer that integrates, controls, and orchestrates every robot in the fleet. Looking ahead, R-dog™ – a four-legged concept robot built for the last 100 meters of delivery where wheeled robots simply can't go – represents the next frontier for campus and urban deployment, enabling true door-to-door delivery and doubling as an interactive advertising platform through R-ads. The same platform also powers R-noid™, the company's humanoid robot built for the repetitive, hard-to-staff jobs that operators across food service, logistics, and facilities management chronically struggle to fill.

About Grubhub

Grubhub is a leading U.S. ordering and delivery marketplace dedicated to connecting customers with their favorite local restaurants, merchants, and convenience retailers. Grubhub elevates online ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms, and an improved delivery experience. Part of Wonder, Grubhub features over 415,000 merchants in more than 4,000 U.S. cities.

About Robot.com

Robot.com Holdings, Inc., doing business as Robot.com®, is a pioneer in practical robotics solutions powered by advanced AI. The company operates a dual-engine business, Robotic Services, offering R-noid, its humanoid robot built to help manufacturers, warehouse operators, and food service providers run their frontline operations reliably, around the clock, as well as Level 4 autonomous robots for campus delivery, warehouse logistics, and inspection. Robot.com Media is a national OOH advertising platform powered by its mobile robot fleet. With more than 500 robots deployed across the United States, Canada, and MENA, and over 2.5 million tasks completed, Robot.com operates at enterprise scale every day in real environments. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Colombia, Robot.com partners with enterprise operators, to solve workforce and logistics challenges today. Robot.com is a founding member of Robots for America, a national coalition advancing the adoption of robotics and American industrial competitiveness.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, as amended, including those relating to certain industry metrics, Company performance metrics and other statements that are predictive in nature. These statements relate to future events, future expectations, plans and prospects. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking expressions, including, but not limited to, "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results or outcomes may prove to be materially different from the expectations expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Meaningful factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, whether we will have adequate financial resources to enable us to pursue our business successfully, given that we will likely need more financial resources than the additional resources. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

For Investors:

Matt Kreps

Darrow Associates

+1-214-597-8200

[email protected]

SOURCE Robot.com

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XPRIZE Wildfire Awards $4.55M to Innovators Advancing Wildfire Detection and Response

Global Competition Recognizes Breakthrough Progress in Technologies Designed to Detect and Address Wildfires at Their Earliest, Most Controllable Stage

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- XPRIZE, the world's leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, today announced awardees across both tracks of XPRIZE Wildfire, an $11 million global competition launched in 2023 to accelerate innovation in firefighting technologies. The awardees were announced during the XPRIZE Wildfire Awards Ceremony held at the New York City Fire Museum.

XPRIZE Wildfire was designed to develop new technologies to help prevent destructive wildfires, enabling humanity and beneficial wildfires to safely coexist. Sponsored by PG&E and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation as well as Minderoo Foundation and Lockheed Martin, the competition challenged teams across two complementary tracks, Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence and Autonomous Wildfire Response. Together, teams within the two tracks aimed to prove that speed, accuracy and autonomy can transform how wildfires are detected and addressed at the incipient stage, their earliest, most controllable stage, to shorten the time between detection and rapid response, inform management practices and minimize negative impacts.

"Destructive wildfires are becoming more extreme, costly and difficult to manage, making faster, more effective approaches increasingly urgent," said Andrea Santy, XPRIZE Wildfire Executive Program Director. "These teams pushed the boundaries of what is possible today, demonstrating meaningful advances in wildfire detection and response while helping identify where continued innovation is needed to move these technologies toward real-world deployment at scale."

Following rigorous Finals Testing under real-world conditions, XPRIZE is recognizing teams for standout achievements that demonstrate meaningful progress toward that goal:

Track A: Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence

Track A challenged teams to utilize space-based Earth Observation data synthesized with artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, characterize and report wildfires faster and more accurately across vast landscapes.

XPRIZE awarded $1.05 million across five Track A teams, recognizing meaningful advances in space-based wildfire detection and intelligence. Judges recognized progress in multi-sensor system integration, detection methodology, commercial readiness, operational capabilities, and innovative algorithms. The results also helped identify key technical gaps that must be addressed to enable reliable, real-time wildfire detection from space.

- 1st Place – System Integration Awardee, $500,000: SIRIUS Wildfire Alliance

SIRIUS Wildfire Alliance demonstrated comprehensive end-to-end and system integration methodology, integrating SAR and optical data to support fire characterization and spread modeling.

- 2nd Place – Methodological Innovation Awardee, $250,000: Team Snuffed

Team Snuffed developed a probabilistic data-fusion framework designed to provide transparent, auditable and uncertainty-aware wildfire detection, with strong firefighter-facing usability.

- Special Recognition, Commercial Viability, $100,000: MyRadar

As a commercially mature team, MyRadar utilized upstream satellite acquisition and demonstrated spatial precision.

- Special Recognition, Operational Deliverable, $100,000: DeepFire

DeepFire demonstrated an operational fire-spread-alert capability designed to support wildfire detection and intelligence.

- Special Recognition, Innovative Algorithm Application, $100,000: Mayday.AI

Mayday.AI applied an algorithm originally developed for volcanic-ash detection to identify wildfire smoke plumes through cloud cover.

"When Minderoo backed this challenge, we set a clear goal: find fires faster and give firefighters better information," said Minderoo Foundation's Dr. Andrew Forrest AO. "Earlier this year, the finalist teams put their technologies to the test in real-world conditions alongside the NSW Rural Fire Service. Innovation only makes a difference when it works where lives, livelihoods and landscapes are on the line. These teams have shown what is possible."

Track B: Autonomous Wildfire Response

In June 2026, Autonomous Wildfire Response competitors put their solutions to the test in the Alaskan wilderness. Teams were challenged to autonomously detect and completely suppress a high-risk fire within 10 minutes of ignition across 1,000 km² of challenging terrain, without disturbing nearby decoy fires.

The XPRIZE Wildfire Judging Panel awarded $3.5 million across three Track B Finalist teams, recognizing distinct breakthroughs across the autonomous wildfire response cycle:

- First Place Awardee, $1.2 Million: Anduril Industries Anduril's modular Lattice software platform provided an integrated detection-to-suppression integrated pathway for unifying cameras, sensors and drones.

- Second Place Awardee, $800,000: Dryad Networks Dryad's Silvanet, a 170-sensor persistent field network, combined with their Silvaguard drones, demonstrated end-to-end autonomy.

- Third Place Awardee, $500,000: AURA Foresight AURA successfully demonstrated autonomous and persistent detection, meeting the critical 10-minute detection gate.

The Lockheed Martin Accurate Detection Intelligence Bonus Prize of $1 million was awarded to Anduril Industries for their rapid and precise multi-sensor detector performance.

"Witnessing the ingenuity of the competing teams reinforces our belief that making the most progress requires a firefighter-first mindset in order to innovate within the realities of the frontline," said Adam Broecker, Vice President, LM Evolve, Lockheed Martin. "Lockheed Martin is proud to support an initiative that pushes the boundaries of autonomous detection and rapid response. While the final prize remains on the horizon, every milestone achieved in this competition brings us closer to giving firefighters, communities, and mutual aid networks the transformative tools they need to stay ahead of the fire."

Together, the results across both tracks demonstrate breakthrough progress in how wildfires can be autonomously detected and addressed at the incipient stage. This final milestone demonstrates meaningful progress toward XPRIZE Wildfire's goal of a future where emerging fires can be identified and addressed faster — before they become large-scale disasters — while also helping define the work still needed to move these technologies toward broader real-world deployment.

"We are proud to be the Impact Phase Partner of XPRIZE Wildfire, supporting innovators developing breakthrough technologies that can transform how wildfires are detected and addressed in the critical early moments when every second counts," said Mark Quinlan, Chief Safety Officer and Senior Vice President, Wildfire, Emergency and Operations, PG&E. " Protecting our customers and the hometowns we serve from wildfire risk is one of PG&E's most important responsibilities. Over the past several years, we have strengthened our wildfire prevention approach through multiple layers of protection and mitigation, but we know there is always more work to do. We are grateful for our partnership with XPRIZE and the innovators participating in XPRIZE Wildfire. Together, we can help bridge the gap between innovation and deployment and accelerate solutions that will enhance safety for all facing the threat of wildfire."

"XPRIZE Wildfire has highlighted both the urgency of this challenge and the need to invest in innovative, practical solutions," said Genny Biggs, Program Director of the Wildfire Resilience Initiative at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. "Competing teams helped advance our understanding of what's possible today, as well as the technical gaps that will have to be filled to deliver faster, more actionable intelligence in the future."

From Competition to Real-World Impact

The conclusion of XPRIZE Wildfire marks a major milestone, but not the end of the work. The competition will now move into a 12- to 15-month Impact Phase focused on helping translate promising technologies from both tracks into durable, deployable solutions for real-world wildfire management.

Through the Impact Phase, XPRIZE aims to build on the competition's momentum and accelerate adoption, investment and collaboration so emerging technologies can strengthen how wildfires are detected, managed and addressed before they become destructive.

"From the beginning, our hope for XPRIZE Wildfire was to change what is possible in the fight against destructive wildfires," said Anousheh Ansari, Chief Executive Officer, XPRIZE. "The progress we are celebrating now is an important step, but the true impact of this competition will be measured by what happens next. We hope to see these innovations utilized by communities and responders to detect and address fires sooner, creating a future where fires can be detected and addressed before they become destructive."

XPRIZE Wildfire is offered in partnership with Co-Title Sponsors Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Presenting Sponsor and Co-Designer of XPRIZE Space-Based Wildfire Detection and Intelligence Track Minderoo Foundation, Accurate Detection Intelligence Bonus Prize Sponsor Lockheed Martin and Supporting Sponsors Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Costa Navarino, American Family Insurance, Fairfax Financial, the Roddenberry Foundation, and individual benefactors. PG&E is the lead sponsor of the Impact Phase.

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Kapor Center Launches PRIME Alliance to Transform How Cities Work With Startups

El Paso, Little Rock and Oakland make up the inaugural cohort for the multiyear initiative connecting local government with mission-driven, gap-closing startups

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the Clinton Global Initiative, the Kapor Center announced El Paso, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Oakland, California, as the first cohort selected to overhaul how their governments partner with the startups working to solve urgent public problems in order to improve millions of American lives. As part of the Kapor Center's PRIME Alliance, the initial cohort will take on a multiyear initiative connecting government with gap-closing startups building solutions to urgent challenges in areas such as housing, child care, health care, education, workforce development, and financial stability. Together they form the inaugural cohort that will help build a practical model for how governments and mission-driven entrepreneurs can work together.

"Oakland is where this work was born, and we intend to be the city that proves it can work," said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. "Too many good solutions stall before they ever reach the people who need them. By joining this alliance, we're committing to open our doors to the founders solving real problems in areas that make a difference, and make it easier for them to partner with the city that's been their home."

The selections mark the moment the PRIME Alliance moves from research to implementation. Over the coming months, the Kapor Center will work with leaders in each jurisdiction to identify priority challenges, connect governments with gap-closing founders, and test new approaches to partnership and adoption that other jurisdictions can learn from. The PRIME Alliance follows a Kapor Center report, Breaking Down Barriers, based on more than 60 entrepreneurs and investors who together hold over 3,000 public-sector contracts.

"Little Rock is proving that a capital city in the heart of the country can lead on innovation," said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. "We've already moved to put smart, responsible technology to work for our residents, and this alliance lets us go further — opening our doors to founders whose solutions can make government faster, fairer, and more effective. This is an investment in Little Rock's future as a place where entrepreneurs know their work can matter."

The report found that the main barriers founders face are drawn-out contracting timelines, hard-to-find government buyers, inconsistent applications, and compliance requirements that are difficult for small companies to meet. It estimates that gaps in sectors such as housing, education, health care, and child care cost the U.S. economy more than $5 trillion a year, and that a 2 percent improvement would add about $100.7 billion annually. The report also points to early results at the state level: a partnership with Binti drove a 33 percent increase in the share of foster youth placed with families in Maryland.

"El Paso has always been a city that builds. Our problem has never been a shortage of good ideas; it's the systems that slow them down," said El Paso Mayor Renard U. Johnson. "We're changing that. We want the folks who are solving real problems for our families to work with the City effectively and often, and this initiative is a step in the right direction."

"Founders kept telling us the same thing: the hardest part of solving a public problem isn't building the solution, it's getting through the government's front door," said Chike Aguh, Head of Innovation and Strategy for Gap-Closing Startups at the Kapor Center. "El Paso, Little Rock, and Oakland are choosing to change that, pairing the speed of a startup with the scale of government, so good ideas reach families in months, not years."

For more information, visit: https://www.kaporcenter.org/primealliance/

About the PRIME Alliance

The PRIME Alliance is a multiyear Kapor Center initiative that brings local and state governments together with gap-closing startups — companies whose products are designed to close opportunity gaps in areas such as child care, housing, health care, education, workforce development, and financial stability. Led by Chike Aguh, the Alliance grew out of the Kapor Center's 2026 report, Breaking Down Barriers: Overcoming Government Hurdles for Gap-Closing Founders, which drew on more than 60 entrepreneurs and investors with experience across over 3,000 public-sector contracts and estimated as much as $100.7 billion in potential annual economic gains from faster, more effective public-private partnerships. Learn more at kaporcenter.org/primealliance.

About the Kapor Center

The Kapor Center works to make the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Its work spans expanding access to technology and computer science education, conducting research on access and opportunity in computing, investing in community organizations and gap-closing ventures, and broadening access to capital for entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds.

SOURCE Kapor Center

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