Torch Systems, an outdoor asset intelligence company, announced US$11.5 million in total funding to expand AI-powered monitoring for critical physical infrastructure. The financing includes US$9.5 million in equity from Khosla Ventures, Abstract, Construct Capital, and Starship Ventures, alongside US$2 million in venture debt from First Citizens Innovation Banking. The company, based in Lafayette, California, plans to use the capital to accelerate manufacturing, grow its go-to-market teams, and advance its Torch Intelligence Platform.
Funding and Growth Plans
Torch Systems will direct the new capital toward scaling production and deployment of its TerraNode sensing devices. The company also intends to expand field operations and customer-facing teams while continuing to develop its intelligence platform for a broader set of use cases. This financing builds on Torch Systems' transition from a wildfire detection concept into an outdoor asset intelligence provider.
From Wildfire Detection to Outdoor Asset Intelligence
Torch Systems began in 2018 when founder and CEO Vasya Tremsin started developing an early version of the technology as a high school student after experiencing the destructive Northern California wildfires. The project earned top honors in its category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and became the foundation for the company. Customer feedback later revealed that wildfire risk was only one of many conditions that operators needed to monitor across remote physical assets.
Technology Platform and Field Deployment
Torch combines its TerraNode hardware with the Torch Intelligence Platform to give operators continuous awareness of distributed outdoor infrastructure. Each TerraNode is self-contained, solar-powered, and equipped with optical and thermal cameras, acoustic, gas, air quality, and environmental sensors, along with on-device edge AI. The devices require no external power or wired connectivity and can be installed in minutes at solar farms, transmission corridors, and other remote locations.
Commercial Momentum and Customer Use Cases
Since the financing closed, Torch Systems has moved from product development into commercial deployment, with hundreds of TerraNodes operating across California, Oregon, New Mexico, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The company reports that TerraNodes have detected early-stage fires in California, New Mexico, and Oregon, as well as equipment faults, security issues, and operational anomalies. Dominion Energy is using Torch at solar sites to monitor fire risk, panel misalignment, overheating, and vegetation growth conditions.
Investor and Operator Perspectives
Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla said that remote site operators often have no practical way to see what is happening on the ground, and that Torch sensors capture signals cameras and satellites cannot detect. Chris Nee, Manager of Renewables at Dominion Energy, added that maintaining continuous visibility across a large solar and battery storage portfolio is challenging. He said Torch provides another way to identify fire risks and vegetation anomalies, helping teams focus attention and respond more efficiently.
Scaling the Physical AI Opportunity
Torch Systems sees a larger opportunity as artificial intelligence moves beyond software into the physical world. By combining sensing, edge intelligence, hardware, and software, the company is building a new intelligence layer for assets that have historically been difficult to monitor. The new funding will help Torch scale from hundreds of deployed devices to thousands while building the operational infrastructure needed to serve more utilities and industrial operators.
Torch Systems' latest funding round signals growing demand for continuous intelligence across physical infrastructure that remains largely unmonitored. The company has already progressed from a wildfire-focused idea to a commercial platform serving utilities, renewable energy operators, municipalities, and industrial customers. With expanded manufacturing and field capacity, Torch aims to turn distributed outdoor assets into a more visible and manageable part of critical infrastructure.