Sonic Fire Tech has raised $15 million to accelerate development of an acoustic fire suppression system designed to tackle fires within seconds without relying on water or chemical agents.
The Ohio-based startup said the funding round was led by The O.H.I.O. Fund, with participation from Khosla Ventures. The investment follows a $3.5 million seed round raised in October and will support hiring, testing and the company’s route toward approval from the National Fire Protection Association.
Sonic Fire Tech is developing a sound-powered fire protection system that uses low-frequency, inaudible sound waves to suppress flames. The company says the approach could reduce the water damage, chemical residue and post-incident cleanup often associated with conventional sprinkler and suppression systems.
According to the company, its system uses a sound generator connected to PVC pipework installed in the ceiling. When sensors detect a fire, the generator deploys infrasonic waves of around 20 Hz toward the flames.
“We are the only technology that creates its own suppressant without collateral damage. False alarms are less of a concern for us,” Remington Bixby Hotchkis, Sonic Fire Tech’s chief commercialization officer, told TechCrunch. “We deploy within seconds.”
The lack of water or chemical discharge could prove especially valuable in commercial kitchens, where fire incidents can lead to months of restoration and significant business interruption. Hotchkis said around 75% of commercial kitchens affected by fires do not reopen.
The new capital will also help Sonic Fire Tech carry out the testing required for National Fire Protection Association approval. Co-founder and CEO Geoff Bruder said that the approval process typically takes about three years, but said he believes the company’s timeline could be “significantly shorter” because the system does not require extensive cleanup after lab tests.
Bruder said the technology has also shown potential in tests involving lithium-ion battery fires. While the system has not fully extinguished those fires, he said it has helped contain them by limiting the spread from one cell to another.
If approved, the system could be used in commercial buildings, kitchens and residential settings, including both new-build and retrofit applications. The company is also in discussions with insurers about whether rapid-response, low-damage suppression could qualify building owners for premium discounts.
