Ex-NASA engineers raise $15M to test firefighting with sound waves

Fighting fire with sound waves

Sonic Fire Tech, an Ohio startup founded by ex-NASA engineers, just closed a $15 million funding round. Its pitch: fighting fires with sound waves instead of water or chemicals. The system pumps high-pressure infrasound waves through a network of pipes, vibrating oxygen molecules away from the flames faster than the fire can consume them.

How the system works

The technology targets stovetop fires first, meeting the UL 300A standard for kitchen suppression. Tests show it can snuff out flames from 25 feet away—far enough to protect against grease fires that resist water. Because it needs only electricity, not water or chemicals, damage stays minimal.

A backpack-sized prototype is now in the works for firefighters. Certification testing should start before the end of the year.

Experts question re-ignition and scalability

Not everyone is sold. Nate Wittasek, a fire protection engineer in Los Angeles, points out that sound waves don’t cool hot surfaces or soak fuel. Without that cooling, fires can flare up again. Michael Gollner, a mechanical-engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, adds that sprinklers remain the gold standard for reliability.

Geoff Bruder, the company’s CEO and a former NASA engineer, insists the hurdles are surmountable. His team includes other NASA alumni who once built acoustic systems for spacecraft, including vehicles designed to land on Venus.

NASA roots fuel investor confidence

Bruder’s NASA background is more than a résumé line. The agency’s research on acoustic waves for Venus landers gave Sonic Fire Tech its starting point. That space-grade pedigree helped the startup attract $15 million in backing, even though the technology is still unproven.

If it clears certification, the system could find its first customers in places where water damage is unacceptable—think data centers, museums, or high-rise office towers.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

Sound-wave suppression could cut water damage in sensitive environments—but only if it proves it can stop fires as reliably as sprinklers.

Key takeaways

• Sonic Fire Tech’s system replaces water and chemicals with infrasound waves, a first for commercial firefighting.
• The technology must pass UL 300A certification and overcome re-ignition risks before it can compete with sprinklers.
• NASA’s acoustic research for Venus landers inspired the startup’s approach.

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