PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2026 — Prime Minute emerged from stealth with $15 million in pre-seed funding led by Eclipse, with participation from 8VC, and unveiled a resilience platform aimed at enabling rapid initial attack against wildfires in all conditions.
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent, costly and operationally complex, the company said, noting that wildfires alone contribute an estimated $424 billion in annual damages across the United States. Prime Minute framed its first offering around the urgent need to act in the earliest moments of an incident, when containment is most likely.
Prime Minute’s system and mission
Drawing on technologies and operational approaches historically reserved for national security missions, Prime Minute’s system combines real-time intelligence, AI-assisted mission analysis, and precision aerial suppression capabilities to help responders assess conditions, coordinate resources, and take action earlier. The technology is designed to enable response when traditional suppression methods are unavailable: during high winds, nighttime incidents, degraded visual environments, and when ground crews cannot access the scene.
“Natural disasters are among the most urgent national security challenges we face today,” said Gabe Sganga, Chief Growth Officer and Prime Minute co-founder. “Yet, we still mobilize most resources after the damage is done. The first hour of an incident often determines its ultimate impact. Prime Minute was built to close that gap, giving responders the tools to detect threats sooner, assess them faster, and act when every second counts.”
Founders and operational focus
Founded by leaders with experience across public service, aerospace and national security, the team includes former operators and technology leaders from Palantir, Forterra and Datorios. Their experience building and deploying systems in complex operational environments requiring rapid decision-making, coordination and execution shaped Prime Minute’s approach to disaster response.
The company said it focuses on identifying critical operational gaps, building technologies around real-world mission capability needs, and helping responders act more effectively when minutes determine outcomes.
