Limelight Wins $5M XPRIZE Global Rainforest Biodeversity Competition
In 2024, Limelight Rainforest was named the grand prize winner of the global $5 million XPRIZE Rainforest competition—a five-year challenge to revolutionize how we monitor biodiversity in the world’s most complex ecosystems.
Out of more than 300 teams from around the world and judged by 11 judges, Limelight Rainforest took first place by designing and delivering a fast, scalable, and non-invasive solution to detect and analyze life in the rainforest.
The Challenge
The final test took place deep in the Amazon rainforest. Each team had just 24 hours to survey 100 hectares of dense forest, and 48 hours to deliver a full biodiversity report.
How Limelight Rainforest Won the Grand Prize
Our success came from combining innovation with experience. We deployed drone-based sensor modules, bioacoustic recorders, and AI-powered species recognition to identify more than 250 species and 2,000 taxa—the highest biodiversity yield of any team.
Behind the technology was a team of optimists: seasoned field biologists, local experts, and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) partners working together in some of the planet’s most complex ecosystems. Our approach integrated 12 independent data streams, including several experimental methods, to create a deeper, more accurate understanding of biodiversity in action.
Our Edge
- Focusing on the rainforest canopy, a layer often missed by traditional surveys.
- Using autonomous tech to collect data from sound, imagery, and environmental DNA.
- Working with Indigenous knowledge holders to validate and interpret findings.
- Delivering results faster, cleaner, and with less impact on the environment.
Why This Win Matters
Winning the XPRIZE proves that Limelight Rainforest’s biodiversity monitoring solutions are the most effective and fastest methods in the world.
Our system is fast, scalable, and non-invasive. It helps researchers, conservationists, and local communities see what’s happening in fragile ecosystems with more clarity and less disruption than ever before.
From protecting endangered species to guiding climate adaptation and restoration efforts, Limelight gives people the data they need to make smarter decisions for the planet.
We’re not just building tools for scientists. We’re building a new kind of planetary intelligence—one that listens, learns, and protects for all.