WindBorne Systems raises $37 million to expand AI weather forecasts

In short: WindBorne Systems raised $37 million to grow its fleet of weather balloons and sell more AI-based weather forecasts.

What happened

WindBorne Systems, a company founded in 2019, says it collects weather data using long-flying balloons with low-cost sensors. It then feeds that information into an AI forecasting model, which is software trained on lots of past weather patterns to predict what comes next.

The company raised a $37 million Series B funding round, according to its CEO John Dean. The round was co-led by Khosla Ventures and Galvanize, with additional investment from TransLink Capital, Lux Capital, and earlier backers. TechCrunch reported the deal values WindBorne at about $250 million after the funding.

WindBorne says it now has 20 launch sites worldwide and about 600 balloons in the air at any time. The balloons gather data in places that are hard to measure, including inside severe storms. The company is also starting to use sensor packages that can land in the ocean and keep collecting readings while floating, like a temporary buoy.

Why it matters

Better weather forecasts can affect everyday life and big financial decisions, from flight planning to emergency warnings. WindBorne’s bigger goal is to turn improved forecasts into products businesses will actually use. That matters because weather data is only helpful if an organization can plug it into day-to-day choices, like a store using a reliable forecast to decide how much inventory to stock.

Source: TechCrunch AI