Firescape Wins Avangrid Startup Pitch Competition, Earns Pilot to Bring Wildfire Risk Intelligence to the Grid

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — April 4, 2025 — Firescape, a wildfire risk intelligence and analytics company serving electric utilities, is proud to announce it was named the winner of Avangrid's inaugural Startup Pitch Competition and has been selected for a technology pilot with the energy company.

The competition was the centerpiece of Avangrid's eighth annual Innovation Forum, held at The Engine, the MIT-founded Tough Tech incubator in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Aligned with the theme of "optimizing the planning, development and operations of energy assets," the competition drew more than 70 applications. Following a rigorous selection process, six startups were invited to present to a panel of expert judges from Avangrid, The Engine, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Firescape was recognized for its advanced wildfire risk and mitigation analytics platform purpose-built for utility applications. The company combines remote sensing and machine learning to help utilities assess and manage wildfire threats, prioritize mitigation investments, and strengthen incident response and recovery. Its flagship FLARE™ AI Engine produces probabilistic wildfire risk scores that translate data into actionable intelligence, while its VALOR™ engine optimizes where and how utilities deploy mitigation dollars for the greatest risk reduction.

"Being chosen as the winner of Avangrid's pitch competition is a powerful validation of what our team has built," said Holly Eagleston, PhD, Founder and CEO of Firescape. "Utilities are under enormous pressure to make defensible, data-driven decisions about wildfire risk and where to invest in mitigation. This pilot gives us the opportunity to put rigorous, transparent analytics directly into the hands of one of the country's most forward-looking energy companies."

The pilot extends Firescape's growing footprint among electric utilities. Founded by scientists and engineers from Sandia National Laboratories, Firescape pairs national-laboratory-grade science with software designed for the realities of utility planning and operations.

Avangrid's Innovation Week convened more than 150 thought leaders, startups, universities, and students. The company has emphasized innovation as a strategic priority, having invested $107 million in innovation projects last year and executed more than ten pilot technology projects with startups.

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it," said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra of the company's broader innovation efforts. "Avangrid's Innovation Week was a demonstration of the company's dedication to innovation and community engagement to advance affordable energy for Americans."

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