Ford Smart Mobility LLC Among Investors in ClimaCell
Ford Smart Mobility LLC is among the investor group that has helped ClimaCell raise $45 million in Series B funding. Clearvision Ventures and Envision Ventures were also among the new investors, joining Canaan, Fontinalis Partners, JetBlue Technology Ventures, and Square Peg Capital.
ClimaCell is a tech company with the ambition of mapping microweather for the entire planet. By being better able to determine when unpredictable, short-term weather might occur in specific locations, ClimaCell hopes to reduce the amount spent every year on weather events and help save lives in the event of unexpected weather events. Among ClimaCell’s products are HyperCast and HyperCast Aviation HD weather map software.
America’s Favorite Pickup Truck: The 2018 Ford F-150 gets even better with new tech, turbo-diesel engine
“The ClimaCell engine is built to map all the weather data in the world and brings critical weather data to its every corner with new hypersensing technologies and microweather forecasting,” said Shimon Elkabetz, CEO and co-founder, ClimaCell. “We are excited to have teamed up with some of the most innovative investors to develop the next generation of weather data, microweather with global coverage, that will enable traditional and next generation use cases to operate in a safer, more efficient way.”
The funding will enable ClimaCell to expand further, including expansion into developing countries that otherwise lack adequate weather forecasting capabilities. ClimaCell also aspires to become the industry’s default choice for microweather technology, supplying its platform to everything from autonomous vehicles and smart mobility products like those offered by Ford to aviation and aircraft companies like JetBlue.
“Forming a strategic relationship with ClimaCell will deliver value across our business,” said Marcy Klevorn, executive vice president and president, Mobility, Ford Motor Company. “High-definition, microweather information supports multiple mobility and AV initiatives, including route planning, the services we can offer to customers via FordPass, and sharing information via the Transportation Mobility Cloud. In the future, real-time data will allow autonomous vehicles to be routed around bad weather.”
Ford established Ford Smart Mobility LLC in 2016 as a means to grow its ambitions to become not just an automaker, but a mobility company. In January, it was announced that the newly established Ford X would oversee Ford’s Transportation Mobility Cloud and the Ford X Accelerator, which is aimed at incubating products and services that may benefit its mobility aspirations.
Get Them While They’re Still Here: Ford’s getting rid of hatchbacks like the Fiesta and Focus, so get them while you still can
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.