- Rainmaker is a California-based climate tech startup, on a mission to combat water scarcity in the region.
- Founded by Thiel Fellow Augustus Doricko, it recently raised $25 million in series A funding according to Fortune.
- Using cloud seeding, Rainmaker is able to boost precipitation and stimulate rain, helping with agriculture and preserving local ecosystems.
Website: www.rainmaker.com
What is Rainmaker?
Rainmaker is a weather-modification startup that uses drones to stimulate rain in areas prone to drought.
Launched in 2021 in California, the startup is looking for new ways to boost rain for farms, watersheds and ecosystems. As freshwater resources are dwindling as a result of climate change, Rainmaker solves the problem by increasing precipitation in the air through technology.
It is designed to help with:
- Farming and agriculture, helping to increase and expand production
- Reducing storm severity
- Increasing the amount of renewable energy that can be created through hydropower
- Restoring natural ecosystems that are at risk of dying out due to drought
So how does it work?
Well, Rainmaker’s drones fly ‘cloud seeds’ into clouds that the system recognises as being ideal for precipitation creation.
As clouds are made up of a series of water droplets that are small enough to remain suspended in the air, the cloud seeds are designed to pull them together and make them heavier.
As the small water droplets in the clouds are attracted to the cloud seeds they grow into larger water droplets or ice crystals.
Once they grow large enough, gravity takes over and they fall as precipitation onto the land below – stimulating rain.
What Makes Rainmaker Technology Unique?
As it turns out, cloudseeding isn’t a particularly new idea – especially in the US. First invented in 1946, the US government experimented with weakening cyclones by flying airplanes dispensing silver iodide into them. The problem? There was no way to tell it actually worked. (Fortune)
Worldwide, other countries are also experimenting with cloud seeding, especially in the UAE and China – so how is Rainmaker different?
Well, Rainmaker uses AI and autonomous drones to seed clouds, as opposed to man-driven aircrafts. They also use more environmentally responsible tactics, avoiding the use of silver iodide that has been used in the past.
By combining new technology for weather monitoring with effective and eco-friendly tactics, Rainmaker is helping to make cloud seeding a more effective and ecologically responsible endeavour.
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Is There A Market For Weather Modification Technology?
Unfortunately yes, and it’s only growing. Water scarcity is one of the biggest issues globally, with an estimated 2.4 billion people living in water-stressed countries – and it’s only getting worse.
Because of this, governments, farmers and populations in drought-prone areas are looking to technology to help provide some level of water security.
And it’s not just gaining popularity in the US. China has announced plans to expand its artificial rain capabilities to cover 56% of its surface area by 2025 (Business Insider).
And with areas of the US now facing more droughts than before, Rainmaker is finding a way to provide safe, measurable and ecologically safe rainfall.
What Key Systems Does Rainmaker Have?
Rainmaker has a series of systems that all work together to create rain. These include:
Radar systems that track weather conditions and measure the impact of cloud seeding.
Weather-resistant drones that can deliver nuclei into clouds more safely and accurately than before.
Weather modelling platform that measures the best conditions for cloud seeding and rain creation.
Sustainable cloud seeding agents designed to be environmentally safer than previously used agents, whilst still stimulating rainfall.
An integrated tech software that combines all of the above to deliver strong, measurable results.
