Weathernews

What Weathernews does

Weathernews Inc. (株式会社ウェザーニューズ, TYO:4825) is a Japan-headquartered weather intelligence company founded in 1986 that operates across consumer, enterprise, and government markets globally. Its core offerings span four product pillars: a consumer mobile app (42M+ cumulative downloads) with freemium and Pro subscription tiers; a B2B platform branded WxTech, providing APIs and industry-specific solutions across aviation, maritime, agriculture, energy, insurance, sports, and road/rail logistics; a maritime services portfolio (weather routing for approximately 10,000 cargo vessels) that includes the SeaNavigator for Master conversational AI platform and OSR-OW route-optimization tool; and a 24/7 live broadcasting service (Weathernews LiVE) on YouTube reaching 10M+ monthly viewers. Underlying technology combines proprietary high-resolution (1km mesh) forecasting models co-developed with Google, machine learning trained on 15+ years of crowdsourced weather reports from a 13,000+ point observation network, IoT sensors (pollen monitors, live cameras), and real-time satellite imagery.

The company generates revenue through a mix of B2C subscription (Weathernews Pro), B2B enterprise subscriptions and data API licensing (WxTech), maritime voyage-optimization contracts, content licensing to broadcasters, and project-based offshore energy services. Major enterprise customers include Maersk Group (global fleet), Sompo Japan Insurance (Hail Disaster Alert Service), Japan Rugby League One (173 matches), and aviation operators across commercial, helicopter, and drone segments. Distribution combines self-serve mobile app stores, direct enterprise field sales, maritime industry partnerships (HD Hyundai Marine Solution, Toqua, Navtor), and 24/7 video content distribution. Weathernews holds CDP 2025 Climate Change A List recognition and ranked No.1 in forecast accuracy in Japan for four consecutive years (2022-2025). Disclosed 2025 revenue was ¥163.4B (approximately $1.07B USD), with EBITDA margin of approximately 22%.

Name

Weathernews

Legal name

株式会社ウェザーニューズ

Website

https://jp.weathernews.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Weathernews Inc. is a Japan-headquartered, publicly traded weather intelligence company providing AI-driven forecasting via a 42M-download consumer app, the WxTech B2B data platform, maritime voyage-optimization services for 10,000+ vessels, and 24/7 Weathernews LiVE broadcasting, serving enterprises and consumers across 144 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Weather Intelligence and Forecasting Services

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUABALAJ

Early Warning, Event Monitoring & Forecasting (Extreme Weather Alerts, Nowcasting)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Carbon & Climate Solutions (Carbon Markets, Offsets, CCS/CCUS)/Climate Risk, Insurance & Resilience Analytics (Physical/Transition Risk Modeling)

SECONDARYMPABACAJ

Local News & Weather Stations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Local Broadcast Stations & Affiliates (TV & Radio)

SECONDARYMPAJADAE

News Agencies & Wire Services (General & Specialized)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

Keywords

• Weather forecasting services
• Maritime weather routing
• Aviation meteorology
• Enterprise weather data APIs
• Agricultural weather intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Chiba-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Consumer mobile app (Weathernews): Weathernews app offers free base features with a premium subscription tier 'Weathernews Pro' generating recurring subscription revenue. The app has achieved 42 million cumulative downloads, providing a large consumer subscriber base.
2. B2B enterprise weather services (WxTech, Weathernews for Business): Professional weather data services sold to enterprises across aviation, maritime, agriculture, energy, insurance, sports, construction, logistics, and government sectors. Services include specialized weather content APIs, high-resolution data feeds, risk management dashboards, and custom forecasting solutions.
3. Maritime weather services and voyage optimization: Weather routing and voyage optimization services for the shipping industry, including integration with AI performance models and route optimization tools, serving 10,000 cargo vessels globally with early adopter shipping companies in Europe, Japan, and Asia.
4. Offshore energy weather services: Comprehensive weather support services for offshore renewable energy projects including wind farm construction and operations, providing site assessments, construction planning, logistics support, and operations & maintenance forecasting.
5. Broadcasting and content licensing: Weathernews LiVE content distributed across multiple media platforms including YouTube, TikTok, TV, and cable, with partnerships for content licensing and weather data provision to broadcasters and media companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Weathernews provides weather intelligence products and services through two primary channels: (1) the consumer Weathernews mobile app with Weathernews Pro subscription and Weathernews LiVE 24/7 streaming reaching tens of millions of users, and (2) the WxTech B2B enterprise platform delivering weather data APIs, IoT sensors, and industry-specific meteorological solutions for maritime, aviation, agriculture, energy, insurance, sports, construction, logistics, and government sectors.

Product overview

Weathernews Inc. operates a multi-platform weather intelligence ecosystem comprising consumer mobile apps (Weathernews app with 42M+ downloads, Weathernews Pro subscription), business-to-business services under WxTech brand (enterprise weather data APIs, industry-specific solutions), maritime services (shipping weather, route optimization, SeaNavigator AI platform), and 24/7 live broadcasting (Weathernews LiVE with 10M monthly YouTube viewers). The portfolio includes specialized offerings for aviation, agriculture, energy, insurance, sports events, and offshore renewable energy sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WxTech: Weather technology services for enterprise clients providing specialized meteorological data and solutions
• ウェザーニュースPro
• SeaNavigator

Products and services

• Weathernews App (ウェザーニュース) Consumer weather app providing highly accurate weather forecasts, real-time severe weather alerts, ultra-high-resolution rain cloud radar, and community-based weather reporting (Weather Report) for individual users in Japan and globally.
• Weathernews Pro (ウェザーニュースPro) Premium subscription tier of the Weathernews app providing advanced features including personalized 'My Solutions', enhanced pollen and hail prediction, and professional-grade weather content for paying consumers.
• Weathernews for Business (ウェザーニュース for business)

Quantifiable outcome

• Fuel savings of 5.3% average across 8 vessels in 2024 trials through AI route optimization (OSR-OW)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sompo Japan InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Sompo Japan Insurance launched a demonstration experiment of the Hail Disaster Alert Service for personal automobile insurance customers on April 13, 2026, expanding a program previously limited to corporate customers. The service delivers SMS alerts warning of hail risks, enabling customers to take preventive actions. Weathernews provides weather data and Toshiba Digital Solutions provides forecasting technology. Results will be analyzed for potential nationwide deployment.
• GooglecoreTechnology or Integration · 27 December 2025Weathernews co-developed 'Google Nowcast' AI weather prediction technology with Google in June 2024, applying advanced AI techniques to achieve high-precision short-range weather forecasting. This proprietary AI technology is a key differentiator in forecast accuracy.
• HD Hyundai Marine SolutioncoreTechnology or Integration · 5 November 2025Co-development and launch of OSR-OW, an AI-powered route optimization tool combining Weathernews weather forecasting capabilities with HD Hyundai Marine Solution's maritime technology. Early trials across 8 vessels in 2024 demonstrated an average fuel saving of 5.3%, with significant cost and emissions reduction potential for shipping companies.
• ToquacoreTechnology or Integration · 29 October 2025Strategic partnership to integrate Toqua's physics-informed AI vessel performance models into Weathernews' voyage optimization systems. The collaboration combines real-time weather intelligence with data-driven vessel behavior analysis, delivering up to 3% additional fuel savings and 50% reduction in arrival time uncertainty. Controlled validation programs demonstrated the integrated system's effectiveness with minimal data requirements for activation.
• Thailand Climate Change and Environment BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed on December 2, 2025, for cooperation in contributing to safe and sustainable society through climate change response and environmental initiatives.
• PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed on November 18, 2025, for AI-based typhoon and heavy rain prediction collaboration aimed at reducing disaster damage in the Philippines.
• Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed on July 31, 2025, for AI-based typhoon and heavy rain prediction collaboration to contribute to disaster damage reduction in Vietnam.
• Maersk GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeathernews signed a global contract with Maersk Group, the world's largest container shipping company, in March 2016 to provide comprehensive weather services for all Maersk vessels worldwide, representing one of Weathernews' most significant maritime enterprise partnerships.
• Indonesia Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU signed in April 2016 for mutual cooperation in disaster risk reduction from natural hazards, supporting Indonesia's meteorological capabilities.
• KDDI CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for IoT cloud services combining weather forecasting with on-site weather information for work safety management. Also collaborated on morning commute content '#通勤タイパ' and Starlink Direct satellite communication integration for the app.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• StormGeo: StormGeo is a Norwegian weather intelligence company focused on shipping, offshore energy, and aviation routing. Closest direct competitor to Weathernews' maritime segment, both serving ~10,000-vessel scale shipping customers with voyage optimization.
• Vaisala: Vaisala is a Finnish environmental and industrial measurement company providing weather observation sensors, lightning data, and road weather systems. Comparable to Weathernews in observation infrastructure and aviation/road B2B segments.
• AccuWeather: AccuWeather is a leading consumer and enterprise weather data provider with strong forecast accuracy claims and a global enterprise sales motion. Directly comparable to Weathernews in consumer weather apps, B2B APIs, and broadcast-grade weather content.
• DTN: DTN provides weather, climate, and agricultural intelligence for agriculture, energy, and transportation enterprises. Comparable to Weathernews in B2B vertical weather data, particularly in agriculture and energy trading.
• Earth Networks (AEM): Earth Networks operates a global lightning and weather observation network and sells enterprise meteorological data and Sferic Maps. Comparable to Weathernews on observation network assets and enterprise B2B data services.

Emerging players

• Tomorrow.io: Tomorrow.io is an AI-first weather intelligence platform offering global nowcasting APIs and aviation/maritime solutions. Emerging but heavily funded competitor to Weathernews in enterprise weather APIs and route optimization.
• Spire Global: Spire Global operates a large proprietary satellite constellation generating weather and maritime data sold to enterprises and governments. Comparable to Weathernews' weather data API business, differentiated by satellite-first data collection.

Others

• Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) / national met services: Government national meteorological agencies (BoM, JMA, NOAA/NWS, KMA, etc.) operate observation networks and produce authoritative forecasts. Comparable in core forecasting capability; Weathernews competes against or partners with these agencies for aviation/maritime contracts.

Regional players

• MAUSJÉ (or similar regional Southeast Asian app): Weather.com / The Weather Channel is a US-focused consumer weather brand with a top-ranked global app. Comparable to Weathernews' consumer freemium app model, but anchored to the US market rather than Japan/APAC.

Broad incumbents

• IBM / The Weather Company: IBM operates The Weather Company, the dominant commercial weather data and AI forecasting platform globally, serving aviation, media, and enterprise. Directly comparable to Weathernews on enterprise weather intelligence; much larger scale and broader enterprise reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@weathernews
• Xx.com/WNI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/12623

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Weathernews