A cross-border defense system protecting Indigenous lands, starting in the Amazon with a mission to cover 280m hectares.
The Shield protects Indigenous territories and protected areas across nine Amazonian territories — built in partnership with the Indigenous Guardians defending them. It fuses satellite intelligence with ground data to monitor, detect, predict, and prevent illegal gold mining, cattle expansion, soy-driven deforestation, and industrial logging in real time.
9
Amazonian territories
36M
Hectares actively protected
280M
Hectares on the path to scale
24/7
Continuous monitoring
// How it works
Multi-source earth observation, analyzed in near real-time, detects illegal deforestation — the starting point behind illegal timber, mining, soy, and cattle expansion.
Indigenous guardians and field teams validate signals and add local context.
Models triage threats by severity, ecological value, and response feasibility.
Verified alerts trigger patrols, enforcement actions, and legal escalation.
// Frontline partners
// Why SOS is different
In under 8 months, the Shield Operating System (SOS) has outperformed every existing forest-monitoring platform by orders of magnitude — turning satellite signal into real-time, ground-led enforcement.
95%
Clear-cut detection accuracy
80%
Selective-logging detection — the only system that reliably catches it
~1 day
From satellite overpass to ground alert (vs. 1–16 weeks)
15×
Lower cost than traditional conservation, at full Amazon scale
Within 8 months of development, SOS outperforms all existing systems — with 95% clear-cut and 80% selective-logging detection. Since selective logging accounts for the majority of forest crime, any system that can't see it can't protect against it. SOS is the only platform that reliably can.
Alerts arrive within ~1 day of satellite overpass, versus the 1–16 week delays of existing systems. Our AI produces near-zero false alerts, eliminating the manual-review bottleneck. Through the Guardião app, Indigenous Guardians receive alerts in real time for immediate ground response.
Co-developed with Indigenous Guardians on the frontline, Guardião enables immediate response with offline functionality, intuitive workflows, and local-language support — while capturing the on-the-ground evidence needed for enforcement.
Evidence and alerts escalate directly to federal agencies — IBAMA, the Federal Police, and the Public Prosecutor's Office — turning field intelligence into legal action and reducing impunity.
Built to protect all 280 million hectares of the Amazon at 15× lower cost than traditional conservation, with an open-source path to expand into the Congo, Sumatra, and other critical biomes.
From the Upper Rio Negro to the Xingu, The Shield operates across nine Indigenous territories spanning the Brazilian & Venezuelan Amazon. Hover any territory to learn more. Now expanding globally — swipe right for the world map.
// Indigenous associations
The Shield is built on the ground in partnership with Indigenous Associations defending their territories. We don't only partner with individual leaders — we partner with the associations they represent, whose collective mandate, knowledge, and governance are the foundation of the mission.
“
Capacity respects and strengthens Indigenous leadership. The Shield/Guardian tools help transform our knowledge of the territory into concrete information that institutions can understand. It's a true miracle. The connection with security agencies is not symbolic — it creates real conditions for protection and accountability. We have made great progress in Brasília with IBAMA and in the Balaio Indigenous Territory.
Cacique, Tukano people · Balaio Indigenous Territory
“
Capacity has strengthened our ability to protect our territory in a practical and respectful way with the authorities in Brasília and with the Federal Police and Public Prosecutor's Office. Through the Shield/Guardian program, satellite tools have helped us identify large-scale timber theft and understand what is happening on our lands. This support allows us to act with clarity and work more effectively with authorities and communities on our expeditions.
Cacique, Aritana Institute · Xingu Indigenous Park
“
The Shield/Guardian program has helped us accurately document invasions and environmental crimes. Capacity's support, along with the engagement of security forces, strengthens our voice and ensures that our territory is not invisible. This support makes a real difference on the ground.
Cacique · Maró Indigenous Territory
“
With Capacity's support, satellite data helps us monitor our lands, and coordination with the police, FUNAI, and IBAMA legitimises our alerts. This combination protects the forest and the people who live in it. We are always updating ourselves and seeking to empower our youth.
Cacique · Takuara Indigenous Territory
“
Capacity's support has been essential for our territorial defense. Satellite monitoring through the Guardian program provides us with evidence and visibility of the farms that are encroaching on our lands, and coordination with security forces helps ensure that our reports are taken seriously. This partnership increases our security and our ability to protect our people in the Javari Valley.
Leader, Kapyvanaway Association · Vale do Javari
“
Capacity is with us in a concrete way. Satellite monitoring and coordination with the responsible authorities helps us protect our lands more effectively. This partnership reinforces our autonomy, while increasing our security and capacity to respond to threats, avoiding real conflicts and dangers.
Leader, Mantinó Indigenous Association · Bau Indigenous Territory
“
Capacity Foundation is very important for monitoring the Yanomami Indigenous Territory and for showing the authorities what is happening in our territory. I want to learn how to use the system so I can train my community and share the data in the Yanomami language. So this is very important to us.
Leader, URIHI Yanomami Association · Yanomami Indigenous Territory