Earth Networks

Earth Networks provides environmental intelligence to a diverse client base, aiming to mitigate financial, operational, and human risks associated with weather events. Founded in 1993 by Christopher D. Sloop and Bob Marshall under the name AWS Convergence Technologies, the company initially focused on installing weather stations at schools to create a networked system. This network formed the foundation for the company's expansion into providing hyperlocal weather data.

The company's core business revolves around its proprietary global network of over 10,000 weather stations and more than 1,800 lightning sensors across over 100 countries. This infrastructure, known as the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network, is a key asset, enabling the detection of both in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning. Earth Networks leverages this data to offer a suite of products and services. These include raw data feeds and APIs, visualization software like Sferic Maps, and alerting systems. They also provide 24/7 meteorological consulting services to help organizations with operational planning and response to severe weather. Revenue is generated through data licensing, software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscriptions, and sales of hardware like weather stations and cameras.

Clients include government agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), for whom they provide critical data for climate research and meteorological modeling. The company also serves a wide range of commercial sectors, including aviation, energy, sports, and agriculture, helping them safeguard assets and personnel. A significant milestone was the sale of its consumer-facing brand, WeatherBug, in 2016, to concentrate on the B2B and government markets. In December 2019, Earth Networks was acquired by Advanced Environmental Monitoring (AEM), a portfolio company of Union Park Capital, joining a family of environmental monitoring technology brands.

Keywords: environmental intelligence, hyperlocal weather, lightning detection, risk mitigation, weather data, meteorological services, atmospheric monitoring, weather analytics, Sferic, sensor network, severe weather alerts, climate data, operational risk, government weather data, aviation weather, utility weather solutions, sports safety, weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, asset protection