Spoor, a trailblazing company that officially started in 2021. Founded in Oslo, Norway, it’s transforming how we approach bird conservation as wind energy expands. With their advanced computer vision technology, the company is able to boost measurable success in monitoring bird populations and migration patterns. Their mission is to minimize danger caused by wind turbines to native avian populations. In his home state of Indiana, Spoor is at the helm of a potent network of advocates focused on balancing energy production with care for our climate and nature. Their mission is to harmonize industry and nature.
The artificial intelligence software Spoor created can pick out birds within a 2.5-kilometer radius—which is about 1.5 miles—of the turbines. This capability allows for real-time identification of various bird species, providing valuable data to energy companies about potential risks associated with wind turbine operations. The technology is plug-and-play with any off-the-shelf high-resolution camera, putting it within reach of mass adoption.
Spoor CEO Aske Helseth found there was a lack of effective ways to track this for wind farms. This discovery sparked his love for the industry. As he explained, “Regulatory expectations are increasing but industry doesn’t really have a good tool. This gap in the market provided an opportunity for Spoor to innovate and make a big impact on bird conservation efforts.
Since then, Spoor has quickly scaled its impact to three continents. Today, it works in partnership with more than 20 of the world’s largest energy companies. This rapid adoption mission illustrates the increasing awareness of the need to bridge the gap between advancing renewable energy projects and protecting our natural environment. Industry vitally needs better tools, Helseth asserted. He noted that currently, field workers enter the wind farms armed with binoculars and trained dogs to try to measure how many birds are being killed by collision with the turbines.
The company closed Series A funding round of €8 million ($9.3 million) just recently. SET Ventures was the lead investor and was joined by Ørsted Ventures and Superorganism. This new cash will help them make more progress on their innovative technology. Spoor’s tracking range has dramatically expanded from 1 kilometer at its seed raise in 2024 to 2.5 kilometers today. This dynamic expansion is a testament to the company’s deep investment in improving its resources and outreach.
As demand increases for their technology, Spoor is looking at applications outside of avian-monitoring. Helseth provided the following statement about this new development. In the past, they’ve gotten questions about whether their technology could track other objects of comparable size. This flexibility might provide Spoor with some unexpected opportunities. It will assist the company in continuing to develop their mission of allowing industry to coexist with nature.