XPRIZE Wildfire

XPRIZE Wildfire — Finals Phase

Funds teams building autonomous wildfire sensing and suppression systems for faster emergency response.

Eligibility · Global — open worldwide

XPRIZE Wildfire is an $11 million prize competition running from 2023 to 2026 to accelerate technology for wildfire detection and suppression. Co-titled by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, with additional support from the Minderoo Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, American Family Insurance, and Fairfax Financial Holdings, the competition addresses the growing risk of catastrophic wildfires in the western United States and globally. The total purse comprises $7 million in grand prizes ($3.5 million per track winner), $3 million in milestone awards, and a $1 million Lockheed Martin Bonus Prize.

The competition is structured around two tracks. Track A (Space-Based Wildfire Detection and Intelligence) requires teams to detect fires within one minute and deliver actionable intelligence reports within ten minutes using space-based assets. Track B (Autonomous Wildfire Response) requires teams to autonomously detect and suppress high-risk fires within ten minutes. As of April 2026, Track A finals testing was underway; Track B finalists were announced in January 2026 following Semifinals announcements in July 2025. Space-Based finalist teams were announced in May 2025. Competition guidelines were updated to version 3.0 in August 2025.

The competition is in its finals phase and is not accepting new registrations; only teams that previously registered through the XPRIZE Prize Operations Platform (POP) are competing. The competition concludes in 2026, with grand prize announcements expected before year-end. Eligibility spans startups, academic teams, students, and problem-solvers worldwide, but the competition is void in countries prohibited by U.S. law under OFAC or Export Administration Regulations. Finalist teams should be prepared for live operational demonstrations meeting the strict detection and suppression time thresholds specified in Guidelines v3.0.