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Sonic Fire Tech, Inspired by NASA, Is Revolutionizing Forest Fire Fighting with Award-Winning Infrasound Technology at CES 2026
In a climate change scenario where wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent and devastating, an innovative solution emerges from Cleveland, Ohio, promising to revolutionize the way we defend ourselves against these disasters. Sonic Fire Tech, a visionary startup, is utilizing infrasound technology — directly inspired by its founder’s years of research at NASA — to neutralize fires without the need for water or chemicals.
Awarded the prestigious CES Innovation Award 2026, the company not only validates its technology but also demonstrates the market potential for a proactive defense against flames.
From Space Exploration to Fire Fighting: The Journey of Infrasound
When Geoffrey Bruder and Michael Thomas founded Sonic Fire Tech in 2019, they brought with them a unique experience: the knowledge of aerospace engineering and work at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, developing thermal energy conversion systems for planetary missions. This background, combined with Cleveland’s industrial capability, proved to be the perfect formula to tackle one of the biggest climate challenges today.
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The recognition with the CES 2026 Innovation Award in the Smart Home category is proof that the technology is not only needed but truly unique. “It’s a recognition that the technology is necessary and unique to the problem,” Bruder emphasizes, noting that unlike many companies searching for customers, Sonic Fire Tech found a mass market for its solution.
The magic behind the technology is, in essence, simple, but with sophisticated execution. Sonic Fire Tech employs infrasound — low-frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear — to combat embers before they can ignite into uncontrollable fires. While traditional fighting is reactive, waiting for the flames to establish, Sonic’s approach is proactive.
The system directly targets the oxygen molecules that fuel combustion, vibrating them at a speed that prevents fire from connecting with fuel. Bruder explains: “For a fire to exist, you need heat, fuel, and oxygen. We are vibrating the oxygen faster than the fire can consume it.”
The ability to detect and suppress a flame from nine meters away, using machine learning to differentiate between controlled flames and real threats, is a game changer. Previous attempts at acoustic suppression failed because they operated at audible frequencies that could cause widespread hearing damage.
Sonic Fire Tech’s innovation lies in the development of highly efficient acoustic generators that operate in inaudible ranges, a technology directly influenced by Bruder’s work at NASA with acoustic energy conversion.
Cleveland: The Cradle of Innovation and Manufacturing
The city of Cleveland has played a crucial role in Sonic Fire Tech’s success. “Cleveland is a great place to build things,” Bruder observes, highlighting the ecosystem of manufacturing and the various machine shops in the region.
This infrastructure, combined with initial funding from local sources and the Innovation Fund managed by GLIDE (Great Lakes Innovation & Development Enterprise) through the Ohio Third Frontier program, provided the foundation for the development and testing of prototypes. The company’s technical team also includes talent from NASA Glenn, including employees and former contractors, a differential that would be hard to replicate elsewhere.
With an investment of US$ 3.5 million from investors such as Khosla Ventures, Third Sphere, AirAngels, and GLIDE, the company is now implementing its systems in California, working with major utility companies like Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison. Furthermore, Sonic Fire Tech is in dialogue with insurance companies and federal lawmakers to integrate acoustic suppression into comprehensive fire-fighting strategies.
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