AI makes weather prediction better. Can WindBorne make it lucrative?
WindBorne Systems has secured $37 million in Series B funding to scale its weather forecasting model, which utilizes proprietary data from high-altitude balloons. The company aims to monetize its improved forecasting accuracy for various industries.
Why it matters
It represents a shift in meteorology where private companies are using AI and novel hardware to outperform traditional government-led weather modeling.
The new deep learning techniques behind LLMs have also given us weather simulations that can run on laptops instead of supercomputers, changing meteorology. But the bigger task for AI may be making it easier for people and organizations to put those forecasts to work.
WindBorne Systems, a startup that collects data with the world’s longest-flying weather balloons and feeds it into a powerful forecasting model , has raised a $37 million Series B round to take on that challenge, CEO John Dean told TechCrunch.
The new round was co-led by Khosla Ventures and Galvanize, with additional investments from TransLink Capital, Lux Capital, and previous investors, and values the company after this round of funding at $250 million.
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