Startup that uses sound to stop fires raises $3.5 million in seed funding

Using inaudible sound waves to stop a fire may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but a local startup led by a former NASA researcher is developing a system capable of doing just that.

Sonic Fire Tech, a Cleveland startup that uses infrasound to “prevent fires before ignition,” recently closed a $3.5 million seed funding round that will help support development of its fire suppression product.

The company was co-founded by CEO Geoff Bruder, a former aerospace engineer with the NASA Glenn Research Center. At NASA, Bruder worked on systems for a Venus lander that convert heat energy into acoustic waves, which are then turned into usable power.