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Instinct Environmental
Techstars '22Hillsboro, US · Founded 2021 · 4 known investors
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Instinct Environmental makes the ASU (Automated Surveying Unit), an automated acoustic monitoring device that listens for over 6,500 target species, identifies them on-device and reports detections over satellite within 30 minutes — replacing the manual site visits and after-the-fact audio review that wildlife surveying normally requires. The company assembles and tests its hardware in Oregon.
Also known as Instinct Environmental Company
Founders & leadership
Investors · 4
How we know: Convective Capital's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
How we know: funding news · Not right? Tell us
How we know: the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$850K disclosed across 1 round · 2022
▶$850KraisedJan 2023 · 4 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- TREVOR BACHANDExecutive Officer
- ASHWIN DATTAExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $850K
- Amount sold
- $850K
- First sale
- Sep 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2021
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Instinct Environmental develops the Automated Surveying Unit (ASU), an acoustic wildlife monitoring device that records audio in the field, classifies species on the device, and transmits detection data over satellite. The company describes the ASU as the first automated real-time, edge-computing, satellite-enabled bioacoustic monitoring device on the market, with the original unit launched in April 2024 and the third generation, ASU 3, launched in March 2026.
The device performs three functions in one unit: recording high-quality audio on a user-programmable schedule with one or two microphones; processing that audio immediately using classification algorithms including the U.S. Forest Service's open-source PNW-Cnet (version 5) and BirdNET, supporting 6,500-plus target classes via BirdNET and 135 classes (75 unique species) via PNW-Cnet, as well as environmental sounds and anthrophony such as rain, gunshots, chainsaws, human voices and vehicles; and transmitting detection counts over satellite so that results appear in Instinct's web application within 30 minutes. Detections can be linked to an alerts and alarms system supporting push notifications, text messages, phone calls and email. Published specifications include a 7–8 week battery life at nine hours of recording per day, an optional solar add-on, roughly 15 lbs (6.8 kg) device and battery weight, audio capture range of 1,000-plus feet (300-plus meters), 256 GB of memory expandable to 512 GB and 1 TB, and physical locks and data security. Companion web and mobile software provides target-species views, device status, last report time, storage capacity, environmental conditions, reporting, audio validation and custom schedules; an Android companion app is published on Google Play.
The company positions the ASU against traditional wildlife surveying, in which biologists visit a site several times per year over multiple years, and against conventional autonomous recording units (ARUs), whose recordings must be reviewed afterwards by human listeners or algorithms, delaying detections by weeks to a year. Instinct claims its approach is 99% faster than surveying with ARUs.
Founding story
The company describes itself as founded and built by outdoorspeople applying their skills to environmental protection and the management of natural resources.
Business model
Instinct Environmental designs and sells its ASU hardware together with custom reporting software delivered through web and mobile applications, inviting prospective customers to request demos and discuss deployments on their sites.
Traction
The Android companion app lists more than 10 downloads as of its April 2026 update.
Latest developments
ASU 3 launched in March 2026; the companion mobile application was updated on 2026-04-30.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Presents the ASU as the first device of its kind, combining real-time edge processing and satellite transmission for bioacoustic wildlife surveying, in contrast to manual biologist surveys and conventional autonomous recording units.
On-device classification and satellite transmission deliver species detections within 30 minutes of recording rather than weeks or months, a claimed 99% improvement over ARU-based surveying, with coverage of 6,500-plus target species plus environmental and human-caused sounds.
Technology
Edge-computing acoustic monitoring hardware that captures scheduled single- or dual-channel audio, runs classification algorithms locally (PNW-Cnet v5 and BirdNET) immediately after capture, and transmits detection counts over satellite links for display in a web application within 30 minutes, with alerting via push notification, SMS, phone call and email.
Go-to-market
Direct outreach through the company website, with contact and demo request forms for project, partnership and deployment inquiries.
Land managers, conservation biologists, government agencies and private landowners, for wildlife management, conservation research and land monitoring projects.
Geography
Headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States, where every ASU is assembled and tested.
History
The original ASU was launched in April 2024, and the third-generation ASU 3 was launched in March 2026. A companion Android application for viewing detections and managing notifications is published on Google Play.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsThe Instinct Environmental Android app, which shows ASU detections in real time and manages alerts and notifications, was updated on Google Play.
Third-generation Automated Surveying Unit launched, described as a real-time, satellite-enabled, edge-computing bioacoustic monitoring device.
Instinct Environmental launched its automated acoustic wildlife surveying device, the ASU.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Instinct Environmentalinstinctenvironmental.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Instinct Environmental do?
- Instinct Environmental builds the ASU, a satellite-enabled acoustic device that identifies wildlife species on-device in real time.
- Who are Instinct Environmental's investors?
- Instinct Environmental's investors include Convective Capital, Techstars, AlbionVC, Elevate Capital.
- How much funding has Instinct Environmental raised?
- Instinct Environmental has disclosed $850K raised across 1 round.
- Where is Instinct Environmental headquartered?
- Instinct Environmental is headquartered in Hillsboro, US.