WindBorne wins a hefty US Air Force contract for its balloon data

{"#WindBorne Systems":"WindBorne Systems, founded in 2015, has developed a deep-learning weather model that uses data from its fleet of autonomous weather balloons. The company currently operates about 700 balloons globally, collecting atmospheric sensor readings and selling the data to customers. The new contract is worth up to $49 million and will support the continued growth of the balloon constellation and research and development.","The US Air Force Contract":"The contract is worth up to $49 million and will support the continued growth of the balloon constellation and research and development. The Air Force pays only as it needs data, placing orders for specific regions at specific times. WindBorne has already received $1.7 million worth of orders.","AI Weather Forecasting":"AI weather forecasting has become one of the more productive uses of deep-learning technology. Models built by frontier labs and government agencies are proving more accurate than traditional forecasts, although both types of forecasts are required for useful understanding of the weather. WindBorne's WeatherMesh 6 model is said to provide more accurate forecasts than the traditional model run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)."}