WindBorne Systems will supply atmospheric data to the U.S. Air Force under a contract that could reach $49 million. The agreement allows the Air Force to purchase readings from WindBorne's network of approximately 700 autonomous weather balloons, which operate globally. Payments are contingent on specific orders placed by the military service, with initial orders totaling $1.7 million.
The contract, awarded without competitive bidding, is intended to support WindBorne's fleet growth and ongoing research and development efforts. Company officials state the unique capabilities of their balloon data collection system met the Air Force's operational requirements. WindBorne utilizes artificial intelligence to process the data gathered by its balloons, aiming to improve weather forecasting accuracy. The company's AI weather model, WeatherMesh, has claimed performance exceeding established systems like the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Founded in 2015 and based in Redwood City, California, WindBorne has previously collaborated with various U.S. government agencies, including the National Weather Service, the U.S. Navy, and the Defense Innovation Unit. The company's technology involves balloons that control their altitude to steer themselves on winds, enabling data collection from the surface up to the stratosphere. This contract builds upon prior agreements, including a 2021 contract with the Air Force to help build its balloon constellation and feed data into the service's weather cloud.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, awarded the contract, which extends through September 30, 2033. The obligated funds for the initial task order were sourced from fiscal 2025 and 2026 research and development budgets. WindBorne's business model includes selling atmospheric sensor readings to customers and using that data to train its AI weather forecasting model. The company has previously raised significant funding, including a $37 million Series B round in August 2026, to expand its sensing network and AI modeling capabilities.