ClimaCell raises $45 million for short-term weather forecasting data
- Dan Primack, author of Axios Pro Rata
An airplane taking off during a storm. Photo: Frank Rumpenhorst/picture alliance via Getty Images
ClimaCell, a Boston-based startup that uses cell phone and IoT data for short-term, hyper-local weather forecasting, raised $45 million in Series B funding.
Why it's a BFD: Because this is about providing vital information to airlines and self-driving cars, not about helping you pick the right type of jacket.
The details: Clearvision Ventures led and was joined by Ford Smart Mobility, Envision Ventures and return backers Canaan Partners, Fontinalis Partners, JetBlue Technology Ventures and Square Peg Capital.
Bottom line: "ClimaCell has kept a close hold on its exact methods, saying that it utilizes variations in cellular signals that can point to changing weather conditions other sensors don't pick up on. It has already demonstrated its usefulness for Jet Blue via a project the airline told Axios resulted in improved warning lead times of fog and winter weather conditions at Boston's Logan International Airport, a key hub of theirs." — Andrew Freedman, Axios science editor