WindBorne Systems has raised $37 million in Series B funding to expand its global atmospheric sensing network and accelerate the development of its AI-powered weather forecasting platform. The oversubscribed round was co-led by Khosla Ventures and Galvanize, with participation from TransLink Capital, Lux Capital and existing investors. The financing brings WindBorne’s total funding to more than $62 million.
Based in Redwood City, California, WindBorne combines autonomous long-duration sensing balloons with proprietary AI models to improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather forecasts.
The company describes its infrastructure as a “planetary nervous system” that continuously gathers atmospheric observations from areas where weather data has historically been limited or unavailable.
WindBorne said the additional observations allow its forecasting systems to provide earlier insight into hurricanes, atmospheric rivers and other severe weather events before they reach populated areas.
The company plans to use the Series B funding to expand its balloon constellation, increase access to computing resources and develop the next generation of its WeatherMesh forecasting models and weather intelligence products.
WindBorne currently operates more than 600 autonomous sensing balloons simultaneously. The company said it tripled the size of its global balloon network over the past year while also tripling revenue.
Its balloons are designed, manufactured and operated internally, giving WindBorne control over the collection of proprietary atmospheric data used to train and improve its forecasting models.
The company recently introduced WeatherMesh-6, which it says ranks as the world’s most accurate weather forecasting model based on publicly available benchmarks.
According to WindBorne, WeatherMesh-6 outperforms leading AI forecasting systems and traditional physics-based weather models while requiring substantially less computational power for training.
The new funding will provide the company with greater access to compute infrastructure as it builds more advanced forecasting systems powered by data collected through its sensing network.
WindBorne’s commercial customers include trading firms that use weather intelligence to inform decisions in markets affected by changes in temperature, precipitation, wind and severe weather.
Weather forecasts can influence pricing and operations across energy, agriculture, transportation, insurance, infrastructure and commodities markets. More accurate forecasts may help companies respond earlier to changing conditions and reduce the financial impact of weather-related disruptions.
WindBorne is also seeing increased demand from government agencies for its atmospheric observations and forecasting capabilities.
The company’s data is currently incorporated into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System, a major public forecasting system that supports many consumer and commercial weather applications.
By contributing observations from under-sampled parts of the atmosphere, WindBorne aims to improve the quality of the data available to government forecasting models and other weather intelligence systems.
The company believes the combination of proprietary observations and AI models creates a compounding advantage. As the sensing network grows, WindBorne can collect more data, improve its models and produce more accurate forecasts, which could then support a broader range of commercial and public-sector applications.
Demand for advanced weather intelligence is increasing as governments and businesses face rising financial and operational exposure to hurricanes, floods, wildfires, droughts, heat waves and other extreme weather events.
WindBorne plans to position its platform as foundational infrastructure for organizations seeking to make operational and financial decisions before severe weather creates substantial risk.
KEY QUOTES:
“We’re building something that has never existed before: a planetary nervous system that continuously observes Earth’s atmosphere and transforms those observations into dramatically better forecasts. Better forecasts do more than improve weather reports, they help shape billions of dollars of decisions across energy, transportation, agriculture, infrastructure, emergency response and countless other sectors. This funding allows us to accelerate that mission.”
John Dean, Co-Founder and CEO of WindBorne Systems
“We’ve believed since our earliest investment that better atmospheric data could transform weather forecasting. As AI models become increasingly capable, the quality of the underlying observations becomes even more important. WindBorne’s combination of proprietary atmospheric data and best-in-class AI creates an advantage that we believe will continue to compound over time.”
Sven Strohband, Partner and Managing Director at Khosla Ventures
“Climate change is increasing the cost of uncertainty. More accurate weather intelligence can help communities, businesses and governments make smarter decisions before extreme weather strikes, strengthening resilience while reducing economic losses. We believe WindBorne’s team is building foundational infrastructure for a more resilient future, and we’re excited to support that vision.”
Saloni Multani, Co-Head of Venture and Growth at Galvanize
