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What Is Torch?
We've worked at Microsoft. We've taught at UC Berkeley. We've led startups worth $300 million
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Now we're building Earth's outdoor intelligence layer
Founding team
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Vasya Tremsin
Chief Executive Officer
Vasya began building award-winning detection systems at 15—starting with sound direction sensors, then tools for drought and wildfire monitoring. He earned top honors at the Intel International Science Fair out of 1,800+ global competitors, and NASA named an asteroid after him. A Cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkeley, Vasya later worked at Microsoft and Visa before founding Torch to turn next-gen environmental sensing into global protection infrastructure.
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Anton Tremsin
Chief Technical Officer
Anton has spent over three decades conducting advanced scientific research at UC Berkeley, with 300+ peer-reviewed publications to his name. He brings deep technical expertise and a lifelong commitment to innovation, guiding Torch’s engineering efforts from foundational research to product development.
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Joseph Morris
Chief Operating Officer
Jo combines experience in institutional trading and high-growth startups to drive execution at Torch. He led commodity and equity derivatives desks at Glencore before joining Knotel, where he closed $11M in B2B sales and ranked among the top performers. A Columbia graduate and former Ivy League soccer champion, Jo brings a disciplined, team-first approach shaped by his background in sports, trading, and endurance athletics.
Our story
Disaster felt inevitable—until we realized it didn’t have to be. Now we're building the early warning system Earth never had.
As a Bay Area resident, Vasya witnessed the horrific 2017 Napa Valley fires burn entire communities down to the ground. For weeks, hazy smoke lingered in the sky. Vasya was struck with the realization: ~“Why isn’t there a mainstream solution to detect outdoor fires quickly and accurately?”~
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This is when Torch’s revolutionary concept was born: ~Using multiple sensors in one solar-powered device – to recognize outdoor fires early~. Vasya demonstrated this concept at Intel’s International Science Fair, winning the top award. Judges passionately encouraged Vasya to turn his project into a real fire detection product which could help mitigate the fire crisis.
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2020 brought a new wave of wildfires in California, turning San Francisco skies orange for weeks. ~An intensive period of R&D~ was already underway for Torch.
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After years of development, the Torch team began demonstrating ultra-early fire detection in action at ~live fire demos.~ The feedback from anyone seeing a detection demo for the first time has been extremely positive.
The Torch team travelled to Los Angeles during the historic 2025 wildfires, helping rangers and first responders detect potential re-ignitions and ember fires. ~Torch devices are still deployed and active around Los Angeles County.~
We won't stop until Torch protects our whole planet
We've accepted disaster as the norm for our planet. Torch does not.
Torch is building the first real-time intelligence layer for outdoor spaces — combining sensors, satellite signals, and AI to detect threats, reduce losses, and power safer infrastructure.
$20T of global infrastructure is exposed to unmanaged outdoor risk — from energy and agriculture to insurance and government assets. Yet there’s no reliable, scalable way to monitor what's happening on the ground. Torch changes that. Our distributed sensing network brings real-time visibility to the physical world — unlocking faster response, smarter planning, and safer operations across entire regions.
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Have a question?
FAQ
How was the Torch technology tested?
We have done a number of short and longer-term tests across various prescribed burning locations in California: mainly in Sonoma, Napa Valley, and Butte counties. Our focus during testing was minimizing the time between a fire starting and our sensors being able to detect it. We were able to achieve remarkably accurate results, where some sensors were able to detect a flame even before it was visible with a human eye. We’re continuing to perform a wide range of testing on various burns and geographies to maximize Torch’s accuracy.
Are the ever false alarms?
An intelligent algorithm analyzes multiple variables in real-time to give both line-of-site and non-line-of-site measurements. Moreover, Torch's what analyzes the dynamic changes in sensor readings, looking for time-based clues of a fire. For example, the device tracks the relative location of the sun, can discern between fog and smoke, and doesn’t sound a warning until multiple variables have been confirmed. Potential false positives such as other heat sources, bright light, sun reflections, fog, and many others were thoroughly tested by our team.
How durable are the Torch Sensors?
Each Torch Sensor automatically runs diagnostics 24/7, so if there’s an issue with the device, an SMS message, and in-app notification will be sent to you. These messages will inform you about the next steps to take.
Is there a warranty?
There is a one-year warranty available. If there is a technical malfunction, you can receive a Torch Sensor replacement.
Is Torch available outside of the United States?
Yes! Torch is available in 90+ countries including Canada, Australia, etc.