Understory, the Madison-based startup that analyzes and processes weather data, raised a new round of funding that will help the company settle into new digs as it grows its staff.
The startup announced that it closed a $5.25 million Series B round led by True Ventures, with participation from 4490 Ventures and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, bringing Understory’s total funding to more than $22 million.
4490 Ventures and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest fund, a VC fund led by AOL co-founder Steve Case, also led Understory’s $7.5 million round in November.
“Our commitment to disrupt outdated methods for dynamic weather analysis is the primary focus for this next stage of growth,” said Understory Co-founder and CEO Alex Kubicek in a statement. “We are excited to work with our investors who are supporting our mission of creating a higher standard for hyperlocal weather monitoring.”
Founded in 2012, Understory makes solar-powered weather stations that collect weather data to help a range of industries detect risk and make better business decisions. The startup, which was named one of Wisconsin Inno’s 19 Startups to Watch in 2019, said its weather tech can be used by broadcasting, agriculture, forecasting and risk mitigation companies. Understory says it has deployed more than 600 stations within five major metropolitan areas and on multiple continents.
The startup will use its new financing to move into a new office in Madison, at 4916 E. Broadway. Understory expects to be completely moved in by June. The startup currently employs 17 people, 12 of which are in Madison, and expects to double its local headcount within the next year.
Additionally, the new funding will help the startup expand its product internationally across agriculture, insurance, government and environmental industries. In December, Understory unveiled “Atmosphere,” new tech to help civic leaders measure air quality and atmospheric insights in real time. And in March, Understory announced that it partnered with Monsanto in Argentina to deploy weather stations in South America to measure rainfall, temperature, and other weather data.
“Understory is fundamentally transforming how weather data infrastructure will be used across the globe,” said True Ventures Partner Puneet Agarwal in a statement. “The on-the-ground insight of critical weather events is essential for innovative decision-making across a wide variety of industries."
