Alumni-founded tech company deployed in California wildfires
By Brandi Thring
From the frontlines to a bird’s eye view, the former TRU students behind Hummingbird Drones and Nova have been finding new ways to tackle wildfires for over a decade. Their technology was used in the fight against devastating California wildfires at the start of this year.
Robert Atwood (BNRS ’15) and Richard Sullivan met when they were working as wildland firefighters with BC Wildfire Service in 2014. Both students at TRU, they became friends and grew into business partners when they purchased a drone and decided to put it work. Their brainchild, Hummingbird Drones, was the first unmanned aircraft system (UAS) service provider in North America to become involved in wildfire suppression.
In January, when wildfire erupted in California, Atwood and Sullivan were called to be part of the fight.
“Cal Fire was using our software pretty extensively, so they invited us to come and offer some on-scene support,” says Atwood, explaining that Nova technology allowed firefighters to map the perimeter and size of the fire and generate real-time aerial maps.
“After all the work that goes into building something like this, it’s really rewarding to see that kind of impact.”
Emergency support
The small startup has grown into a major force in drone analytics and emergency response across North America and now includes the aerial mapping software subsidiary, Nova. The software allows users to analyze infrared data, identify heat sources and accurately map fire perimeters. Search and rescue teams can use the technology to detect specific colours in search areas, allowing them to quickly locate lost individuals.
In December 2024, when three skiers went missing at Sun Peaks Ski Resort, the Hummingbird Drones team was called in to assist Kamloops Search and Rescue. Nova software helped the teams find the lost skiers.
TRU Generator ignites idea
When Hummingbird Drones was just a flicker of an idea, Atwood and Sullivan were guided by the experts from Kamloops Innovation (recently rebranded as Central Interior Business Accelerator) and the TRU Generator, an on-campus hub that provides support for young entrepreneurs. They won the Young Entrepreneur Award from Start Up Canada in 2015 and the Innovation Award in 2017.
As the company continues to grow, they remain grateful for the mentorship and support they received at TRU, crediting Lincoln Smith, director of research partnerships and compliance, and founding executive director of Kamloops Innovation, for inspiring them to take the risk that led them to where they are today.
“He sat down with us, and he was like, you guys can go be firefighters at any point in your lives, but this is a chance that you should take and a risk you should take today,” says Atwood. “That talk convinced us to do it, and it was the best decision of our lives.”
Building a business from the ground up is never simple, and the journey of Hummingbird Drones and Nova has been no exception.
“It’s funny when people say we’ve grown quickly — because for us, it feels like years of grinding. We’ve put in long hours, taken big risks and worked relentlessly to get to this point,” says Atwood.