Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture investment arm of Lockheed Martin Corp., is hoping for a bright forecast in its latest strategic investment—weather forecasting technology company Meteomatics. Lockheed said the investment will allow Meteomatics, founded in 2012 by German mathematician Martin Fengler, to expand its technology into industries such as aviation and defense.

Meteomatics boasts weather modeling technology with a resolution down to the equivalent of street level with hourly updates. The company said the technology will allow for the observation of phenomena such as hail, thunder, wind, and other weather features on a close-up level. By contrast, most government weather observation technology operates at resolutions of roughly 6 to 30 miles and only updates several times a day.

The company operates weather drones called Meteodrones, which can fly at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet and collect data that is used, along with more than 100 other sources, to accurately map the weather in the mid and lower atmospheres.

Chris Moran, v-p and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, believes the technology will become a vital asset to the company’s customers.

“Meteomatics’ weather intelligence has the potential to give the U.S. and its allies a better understanding of the dynamic environments in which assets and personnel operate, both improving operational effectiveness and reducing risk,” he said.

Fengler told AIN that the investment comes at a time when the demand for precise weather modeling is increasing. As an example, he cited the renewable energies sector. "You need, for planning purposes, reliable estimates for some energy resources," he said, adding that accurate forecasts are necessary for wind, solar, and hydropower generation.

Fengler said the Switzerland-based company's expansion into the U.S. is part of a larger push to expand its global footprint.

"It's good to get a foot across the pond in the U.S. market. And this is, of course, something that will require our full attention in the near future," he said.

He also hinted that Meteomatics has its eyes on the Asia region. "If you think of the Singapore region, that is also very much affected by bad weather, especially when it comes to the shipping industry, and is something that we will also look into," he said.

Meteomatics also recently expanded operations to Germany, Spain, and the UK.