RainWise
RainWise, founded 1974 and now a Nielsen-Kellerman subsidiary, manufactures professional-grade weather stations, PVMet solar monitoring stations, rain gauges, and sensors for solar, agriculture, industrial, government, and consumer customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersBar Harbor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What RainWise does
RainWise Inc., founded in 1974 and incorporated in Pennsylvania, manufactures professional-grade meteorological and environmental monitoring hardware sold under multiple product lines. Its core offerings include cellular and industrial weather stations (KestrelMet 6000, MK-III series), a six-model PVMet line of solar monitoring stations (75-500) certified to SunSpec standards, the Agromet precision-agriculture series, tipping-bucket rain gauges, and supporting sensors and data loggers. Devices communicate via Modbus RTU (with optional Ethernet TCP), feed the RainwiseNet cloud platform, and integrate with the Ambient Weather Network and downstream smart-home/automation ecosystems. The company holds a GSA contract covering 700+ U.S. government agencies and is SunSpec, NIST-traceable, RoHS/REACH/WEEE, NDAA Section 889, and ITAR compliant.
Since January 2020, RainWise has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nielsen-Kellerman Co. (itself backed by Clearview Capital since 2017), and relocated production from Bar Harbor, Maine to NK's Boothwyn, Pennsylvania facility in 2021. Revenue is generated through quote-based hardware sales via direct e-commerce and telephone, an international dealer network, solar-integrator and weather-network channel partnerships, government procurement via GSA, and a flat-rate repair-services program ($125-$375 per repair). Customer segments span solar energy operations, agriculture, industrial/utility, government, and prosumer/personal weather station users, with a 50+ year installed base that includes units in service for over 20 years.
RainWise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RainWise
- Legal name
- RainWise Inc.
- Website
- https://rainwise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RainWise, founded 1974 and now a Nielsen-Kellerman subsidiary, manufactures professional-grade weather stations, PVMet solar monitoring stations, rain gauges, and sensors for solar, agriculture, industrial, government, and consumer customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RainWise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Meteorological Instruments
- NAICS
- Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early Warning, Event Monitoring & Forecasting (Extreme Weather Alerts, Nowcasting) (EUABALAJ)
Keywords
Where RainWise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bar Harbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
RainWise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Weather Station Hardware Sales: Sale of professional-grade weather stations including KestrelMet 6000, MK-III series, and personal weather stations. Products include sensors, rain gauges, wind loggers, and related meteorological equipment.
- Solar Monitoring Station Sales: PVMet series solar monitoring stations (75, 100, 150, 200, 330, 500) for commercial and utility-scale solar installations. Stations are customizable with various sensor configurations.
- Repair and Warranty Services: Out-of-warranty repair services offered at flat rates ($125-$375 depending on product), with 90-day warranty on repairs. Warranty support for defective products within warranty period.
- Agricultural Weather Systems: Agromet Series weather monitoring solutions for precision agriculture applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Display / IP100 Repair Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | KestrelMet Agromet+ Repair Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | LR MKIII Sensor Repair Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | MIII Agromet Repair Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | PVMET Repair Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | TeleMet Repair Service |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Motherboard Repair Service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
RainWise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RainWise designs, manufactures, and sells professional-grade meteorological hardware including cellular and industrial weather stations (KestrelMet 6000, MK-III series), SunSpec-certified solar monitoring stations (PVMet 75–500), Agromet agricultural systems, tipping bucket rain gauges, environmental sensors, and WindLog data loggers. Hardware is complemented by the RainwiseNet cloud platform for remote weather data access. Products are sold direct-to-customer, via international dealers, and through a GSA contract to government buyers.
Product overview
RainWise manufactures professional-grade meteorological equipment for consumer, enterprise, and industrial applications. The product portfolio centers on weather stations (KestrelMet 6000 Cellular, MK-III series) and solar monitoring stations (PVMet series: 75, 100, 150, 200, 330, and 500), with complementary rain gauges, sensors, and data loggers. The MK-III Weather Stations are available in industrial, long-range, and agricultural variants. The PVMet line offers a range from compact entry-level monitoring (75/100) to fully customizable multi-sensor solutions (500). Data connectivity is provided through RainwiseNet cloud hosting with mobile apps, Modbus RTU/Ethernet TCP industrial protocols, and integration with the Ambient Weather Network platform for broader weather data sharing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RainwiseNet: Cloud hosting service for weather data from RainWise weather stations
- PVMet
- MK-III
- KestrelMet
Products and services
- KestrelMet 6000 Cellular Weather Station Advanced cellular weather station with direct internet reporting via cellular data; professional-grade meteorological sensors for comprehensive weather data collection and transmission to the RainwiseNet cloud.
- PVMet 500 Solar Monitoring Station Fully customizable solar monitoring solution supporting up to three irradiance sensors and three back-of-panel temperature sensors, with optional ultrasonic anemometer, mini-aervane, and rain gauge. Communicates via Modbus RTU with optional Ethernet TCP and is SunSpec certified.
- PVMet 330 Solar Monitoring Station Comprehensive solar monitoring station with full sensor suite including global/plane-of-array irradiance, wind speed/direction, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and rain gauge. Communicates via Modbus RTU with optional Ethernet TCP and is SunSpec certified.
- PVMet 200 Solar Monitoring Station Best-selling commercial solar monitoring model featuring high-caliber PV and wind sensors, plane-of-array irradiance sensor, back-of-panel temperature sensors, ambient temperature, and wind speed/direction sensors. SunSpec certified.
- PVMet 150 Precision Utility-Grade Solar Monitoring Station Precision solar monitoring station with thermopile pyranometer available in ISO 9060 Second-Class, First-Class, or Secondary Standard. Features adjustable global or plane-of-array irradiance sensor, one or two back-of-panel temperature sensors, and optional additional irradiance sensor.
- PVMet 100 Solar Monitoring Station Compact solar monitoring station with adjustable EKO ML-01E irradiance sensor configurable for global or plane-of-array mode. Includes back-of-panel temperature sensors and ambient temperature sensor. SunSpec certified.
- PVMet 75 Solar Monitoring Station Compact and lightweight solar monitoring station featuring global or plane-of-array irradiance sensor, back-of-panel temperature sensors, and ambient temperature sensor. Simple installation with Modbus RTU communication.
- MK-III Weather Stations Professional-grade industrial weather stations known for customizable configuration, NIST traceability, and robust durability. Available in multiple variants including Long-Range (LR) and agricultural (Agromet) configurations.
- Agromet Series Agriculture Weather Systems Agricultural weather systems designed for growers with precision and accuracy, including the Agromet series for crop monitoring, pest management, and irrigation decisions.
- RainwiseNet Web Solutions Cloud hosting service providing up-to-the-minute weather data from RainWise weather stations, with web-based weather pages, iPhone/iPad apps, and Android apps. Works with IP-100 Ethernet Interface for direct router connectivity.
- Rain Gauges Professional-grade tipping bucket rain gauges including the original remote reading rain gauge. Feature extra-large 8-inch diameter collectors meeting NWS specifications, with hand-calibrated tips counting one-hundredth of an inch of rainfall.
- Sensors Temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind, irradiance, and other environmental sensors for weather and solar monitoring applications.
- WindLog Data Loggers Portable data loggers for wind speed and direction measurement, enabling field data collection and analysis.
- Repair and Warranty Services Out-of-warranty repair services offered at flat rates from $100 to $375 depending on product, with a 90-day warranty on repairs. Warranty support is provided for defective products within the standard 2-year (5-year on solar cells) warranty period.
Quantifiable outcome
- Units in service for 20+ years (MK-III weather station example)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use RainWise
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
RainWise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature5 records
RainWise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Engenuity SystemscoreEngenuity Systems, the largest distributor of open system products in the United States, collaborated with RainWise to create the PVMET200 weather station for Ontario solar gardens. This partnership created the back-of-cell temperature sensor monitoring trend for the solar industry.
- Endura EnergycoreEndura Energy partnered with RainWise and Engenuity Systems to create multiple 500 kW solar farms across Ontario using PVMET200 environmental weather stations. Weather data is fed into facility control systems for energy production analysis.
- Ambient Weather NetworkcoreRainWise partnered with Ambient Weather Network to connect weather stations to their platform, joining a network of over 100,000 weather stations. Integration allows users to connect with IFTTT, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, Weather Underground, and PWSWeather. The partnership enables data access via mobile apps and powerful API for programmers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RainWise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Kestrel Instruments: Kestrel Instruments is a sibling brand under Nielsen-Kellerman producing handheld weather meters (anemometers, heat stress monitors) and the KestrelMet line that directly shares distribution and engineering resources with RainWise.
- Ambient Weather: Ambient Weather is a sibling brand under Nielsen-Kellerman (alongside RainWise and Kestrel) that operates the Ambient Weather Network platform where RainWise stations are integrated; competitive overlap exists in consumer weather stations, but distribution is collaborative rather than purely competitive.
Broad incumbents
- Campbell Scientific: Campbell Scientific manufactures rugged dataloggers and weather stations widely used in research, agriculture, and government applications; competes with RainWise in industrial/research weather monitoring where customization and long-term field deployment are priorities.
- OTT HydroMet (Lufft): OTT HydroMet (parent of Lufft) provides professional meteorological and hydrological sensors including solar monitoring (WS-series) that directly competes with RainWise PVMet in utility-scale solar applications globally.
- Vaisala: Vaisala is a global incumbent in professional meteorological and environmental measurement instruments, offering weather stations, ceilometers, and road weather sensors that compete with RainWise in the industrial, aviation, and government segments at higher price points.
Direct peers
- Onset (HOBO Data Loggers): Onset Computer Corporation produces HOBO weather stations, data loggers, and outdoor environmental sensors that overlap with RainWise's industrial and agricultural monitoring offerings.
- AcuRite: AcuRite competes with RainWise in the personal/consumer weather station segment with display-based weather stations and My AcuRite/Ring integrations, addressing a similar prosumer and citizen-science audience.
- Columbia Weather Systems: Columbia Weather Systems is a direct competitor in professional-grade weather stations (Orion, Pulsar series) targeting aviation, industrial, agriculture, and government customers with comparable NIST-traceable measurement offerings.
- Davis Instruments: Davis Instruments is a direct competitor to RainWise in consumer and professional-grade weather stations (Vantage Pro2, Vantage Vue), serving overlapping agriculture, research, and prosumer segments with similar tipping-bucket rain gauges and integrated sensor arrays.
Emerging players
- METER Group (formerly Decagon Devices): METER Group specializes in environmental sensors (soil moisture, weather, microclimate) for research and agriculture; competes with RainWise's Agromet line and shares academic and precision-agriculture customers with overlapping environmental-monitoring technology.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RainWise social profiles
Digital presenceRainWise compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
RainWise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RainWise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
RainWise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RainWise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RainWise
What does RainWise do?
RainWise designs, manufactures, and sells professional-grade meteorological hardware including cellular and industrial weather stations (KestrelMet 6000, MK-III series), SunSpec-certified solar monitoring stations (PVMet 75–500), Agromet agricultural systems, tipping bucket rain gauges, environmental sensors, and WindLog data loggers. Hardware is complemented by the RainwiseNet cloud platform for remote weather data access. Products are sold direct-to-customer, via international dealers, and through a GSA contract to government buyers.
Is RainWise a public or private company?
RainWise is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was RainWise founded?
RainWise was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RainWise based?
RainWise is headquartered in Bar Harbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does RainWise make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Weather Station Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are solar Monitoring Station Sales, repair and Warranty Services and agricultural Weather Systems.
Who are RainWise's main competitors?
Others on record are Kestrel Instruments and Ambient Weather. Broad incumbents are Campbell Scientific, OTT HydroMet (Lufft) and Vaisala. Direct peers are Onset (HOBO Data Loggers), AcuRite, Columbia Weather Systems and Davis Instruments. METER Group (formerly Decagon Devices) is listed as an emerging player.
Does RainWise have an API?
No public API is recorded for RainWise.
What industry is RainWise in?
RainWise's product category is Meteorological Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABALAJ, Early Warning, Event Monitoring & Forecasting (Extreme Weather Alerts, Nowcasting). Its NAICS code is 334519 and its SIC code is 3823.