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Sorcerer, a Y Combinator weather balloon startup, has raised a $3.9 million seed round, the company tells Axios exclusively. 

Why it matters: Better weather data could help companies and governments navigate risk and extreme weather, but current methods are lacking.

Zoom in: FCVC led the round, and was joined by Y Combinator, Collaborative Fund, Transpose Platform, Pioneer Fund, New Legacy and First Order Fund. Angels in the round included Kulveer Taggar and Taro Fukuyama.

Sorcerer co-founder and CEO Austin Tindle says the funds will be used to increase the number of balloons to meet the demand of early customers and partners in sectors like weather services, aviation and aerospace. 

Tindle says Sorcerer is working with the U.S. National Weather Service and the government of El Salvador.

How it works: The company has developed a small, super-pressure balloon that can constantly change its altitude between the stratosphere and the surface.

The balloons carry sensors, a solar panel and a satellite connection, and collect data about the temperature, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure and humidity.

Other companies have developed similar weather balloons, but Tindle says Sorcerers are significantly smaller and lighter because they only need solar power to change altitude and don't carry a consumable like ballast.

Sorcerer says its balloons can last in the skies for months at a time, longer than other weather balloons. 

The intrigue: Sorcerer is also using its weather data to develop weather AI models that is says can deliver more accurate and higher quality forecasts

Catch up quick: The company went through the Y Combinator program in the summer of 2024. 

The big picture: Many areas of the world outside of the U.S. and Europe lack adequate weather data.

Weather data can be crucial to governments to plan for extreme weather events, and key to companies like utilities, insurance firms, and farmers.

Better weather forecasting will be increasingly important as weather becomes more extreme with climate change.  

Follow the money: AI weather prediction is a hot sector, with deep-pocketed players like Nvidia and Google involved in the technology.

Another weather balloon startup WindBorne is backed by venture capital firms Footwork, Khosla Ventures, Pear VC, Ubiquity Ventures, Harvest Ventures, Humba Ventures, Jetstream, and Convective Capital 

What's next: Sorcerer plans to ramp up its balloon launches to thousands per year.

Exclusive: Sorcerer raises $3.9M for weather balloons

Its novel balloons are lighter and smaller than competitors.

A weather balloon floating above San Francisco made by the startup Sorcerer

Sorcerer's weather balloon floating above San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Sorcerer

Sorcerer, a Y Combinator weather balloon startup, has raised a $3.9 million seed round, the company tells Axios exclusively. Why it matters: Better weather data could help companies and governments navigate risk and extreme weather, but current methods are lacking.

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Exclusive: Sorcerer raises $3.9M for weather balloons

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