airTEXT
airTEXT is a free public air quality, pollen, UV, and temperature forecasting and alert service operated by CERC, serving Greater London, Surrey, Essex, and Cambridge via 45+ local authority consortium subscriptions and direct public alerts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What airTEXT does
airTEXT is a free public environmental forecasting and alert service operated by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd (CERC), a private limited company headquartered in Cambridge, UK. The service provides 3-day ahead forecasts of air pollution (Nitrogen Dioxide, PM10, PM2.5, and Ozone), pollen levels, ultraviolet radiation, and temperature across Greater London, Surrey, parts of Essex, and Cambridge. Forecasts are generated by integrating CERC's proprietary ADMS-Urban air quality dispersion model (producing 10m resolution maps), the CAMS Regional Ensemble European pollution forecasts, real-time LondonAir monitoring, DTN weather data, and Met Office pollen data, with forecasts issued twice daily at 7am and 7pm.
The service operates on a freemium B2G/B2C model: end users receive free alerts via email, SMS, or voicemail, while 45+ local authorities pay annual subscriptions as members of the airTEXT Consortium, which is chaired by Islington Council and includes the Greater London Authority, UK Health Security Agency, and the Environment Agency. A web API, developed in 2022 using DEFRA-funded grants, allows third-party applications to integrate airTEXT data. The service launched in March 2007 and has been sustained through a combination of local authority subscriptions, EU research project participation (PROMOTE, PASODOBLE, MACC series), and grants from DEFRA and the European Space Agency.
airTEXT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- airTEXT
- Legal name
- Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd
- Website
- https://airtext.info
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- airTEXT is a free public air quality, pollen, UV, and temperature forecasting and alert service operated by CERC, serving Greater London, Surrey, Essex, and Cambridge via 45+ local authority consortium subscriptions and direct public alerts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
airTEXT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Quality Forecasting & Environmental Monitoring Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (Criteria Pollutants & Air Toxics) (EUAHACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Air Quality Modeling & Dispersion Analytics (AERMOD/CALPUFF, Exposure Surfaces) (EUAHAKAE), Early Warning, Event Monitoring & Forecasting (Extreme Weather Alerts, Nowcasting) (EUABALAJ), Environmental Data, Monitoring, Remote Sensing & Early Warning (BPADALAN)
Keywords
Where airTEXT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
airTEXT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Local Authority Annual Subscriptions: Member local authorities pay annual subscriptions to be part of the airTEXT service. These subscriptions fund the maintenance and development of the core service, supplemented by CERC's research projects and government grants.
- Public Service (Free): Free service for the general public providing air pollution alerts via email, text message, and voicemail. No direct revenue from end users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free Public Alerts - No cost to end users |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
airTEXT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
airTEXT provides 3-day environmental forecasts and free alerts covering air pollution (NO2, PM10, PM2.5, O3), pollen, temperature, and UV, generated via CERC's ADMS-Urban dispersion model and delivered to the public via email, SMS, and voicemail. The service is funded by annual subscriptions from 45+ member local authorities, plus CERC research projects and government grants, with web APIs enabling third-party integration of the forecast data.
Product overview
airTEXT is a free public-facing environmental forecasting and alert service operated by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) in partnership with a consortium of local authorities. The core offering consists of an Air Pollution Forecast Service providing 3-day ahead forecasts with hourly DAQI calculations and 10m resolution maps using ADMS-Urban modelling, combined with an Alert Service delivering free notifications via email, text, and voicemail for moderate-to-very-high pollution days. The service also integrates Environmental Forecasts for pollen (Met Office), temperature, and UV (DTN), plus Health Guidance providing tiered advice for different pollution levels. A 2022-developed Web API enables third-party applications to integrate airTEXT data. The system covers Greater London, Surrey, parts of Essex, and Cambridge, serving over 40 local authority areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air Pollution Forecast Service Provides 3-day ahead air pollution forecasts with hourly concentration calculations for Nitrogen Dioxide, Particulates (PM10 and PM2.5), and Ozone, displayed as the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) on a map at 10m resolution. Forecasts are issued twice daily at 7am and 7pm.
- Air Pollution Alert Service Delivers free alerts via email, text message, and voicemail when air pollution is forecast to be moderate, high, or very high. Users can subscribe to up to two alert areas.
- Environmental Forecasts (Pollen, Temperature, UV) Provides 3-day forecasts for pollen levels, temperature ranges, and UV rays alongside air quality data. Pollen data supplied by the Met Office; temperature and UV data supplied by DTN.
- Health Guidance Provides health advice and protective measures for different air pollution levels (Low, Moderate, High, Very High), tailored for at-risk individuals including older people, children, pregnant people, and those with heart or lung conditions. Also covers pollen, heatwave, cold weather, and UV protection guidance.
- Web APIs for Third-Party Integration Cloud-based web APIs enabling external applications and services to integrate airTEXT air quality data, redeveloped in 2022 alongside a cloud migration of the operational system.
Quantifiable outcome
- Forecasts issued twice daily at 7am and 7pm
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use airTEXT
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
airTEXT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
airTEXT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants Ltd (CERC)coreCERC develops and operates the airTEXT forecasting and alert system. CERC brings together air pollution forecasting data from its systems, integrates with ADMS-Urban model, and manages the service delivery. The service has operated since March 2007.
- CAMS Regional Ensemble (Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service)coreProvides forecasts of pollution across Europe integrated into airTEXT's forecasting system. CERC is part of the team delivering CAMS and the sub-team facilitating user interaction.
- ADMS-Urban (CERC)coreCERC's world-leading urban air quality dispersion modelling system used to create 10m resolution air quality maps for the service.
- LondonAircoreReal-time monitoring data from LondonAir is fed into airTEXT throughout the day and compared with observed pollution levels to ensure forecast accuracy.
- Islington Council (Consortium Chair)coreChairs the airTEXT Consortium which includes representatives from all member local authorities, the GLA, UK Health Security Agency, and Environment Agency.
- Greater London Authority (GLA)majorPartners with airTEXT for public notifications during high pollution episodes. The GLA is part of the consortium governance.
- UK Health Security AgencymajorGovernment agency partner in the airTEXT Consortium providing public health expertise.
- Environment AgencymajorGovernment agency partner in the airTEXT Consortium.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
airTEXT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BreezoMeter: BreezoMeter provides air quality, pollen, and weather data via APIs and embedded products for apps, advertisers, and enterprises. Highly comparable to airTEXT's data-licensing and multi-channel environmental forecast business model.
- Airly: Airly is a direct peer — it operates a global air quality monitoring and forecasting platform combining sensor networks, dispersion modeling, and APIs to deliver hyperlocal pollution data to consumers, businesses, and municipalities, directly overlapping airTEXT's forecasting + alert + API offering.
- IQAir: IQAir runs a global air quality information platform combining its own sensor network, real-time data, and consumer-facing forecasts/alerts — overlapping airTEXT's consumer alert and map-based DAQI-equivalent products.
- Clarity Movement: Clarity Movement deploys low-cost air quality sensor networks and provides hyperlocal pollution data and forecasting to governments and enterprises — a direct comparator on the data-infrastructure and government-customer side of airTEXT's business.
Emerging players
- Aeroqual: Aeroqual manufactures air quality monitoring sensors and provides integrated software/data services to governments and enterprises — adjacent peer on the environmental monitoring and data delivery stack airTEXT operates in.
- Plume Labs: Plume Labs built consumer air quality forecasting apps and APIs (now part of AccuWeather) — comparable as a hyperlocal pollution forecast and consumer alerting product, though more mobile-first and less consortium/government-led than airTEXT.
- OpenAQ: OpenAQ is an open-source global air quality data aggregation platform — comparable as a data infrastructure layer that governments and developers use, similar in spirit to airTEXT's API/distribution model but open rather than consortium-funded.
Others
- LondonAir: LondonAir is the King's College London-operated London air quality monitoring network that actually feeds real-time data into airTEXT. It is an enabling data source and partial substitute for users seeking London-only pollution information, making it adjacent rather than directly competitive.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
airTEXT social profiles
Digital presenceairTEXT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
airTEXT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
airTEXT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
airTEXT 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 airTEXT
What does airTEXT do?
airTEXT provides 3-day environmental forecasts and free alerts covering air pollution (NO2, PM10, PM2.5, O3), pollen, temperature, and UV, generated via CERC's ADMS-Urban dispersion model and delivered to the public via email, SMS, and voicemail. The service is funded by annual subscriptions from 45+ member local authorities, plus CERC research projects and government grants, with web APIs enabling third-party integration of the forecast data.
Is airTEXT a public or private company?
airTEXT is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was airTEXT founded?
airTEXT was founded in 2007.
Where is airTEXT based?
airTEXT is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does airTEXT make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Local Authority Annual Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are public Service (Free).
Who are airTEXT's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BreezoMeter, Airly, IQAir and Clarity Movement. Emerging players are Aeroqual, Plume Labs and OpenAQ. LondonAir is listed as an others.
Does airTEXT have an API?
Yes. airTEXT offers web APIs for integrating airTEXT data into other apps and services. The API was redeveloped in 2022 as part of a grant to Southwark and Lambeth Council, funded by DEFRA. The redeveloped operational system uses cloud technology to enable third-party integration.
What industry is airTEXT in?
airTEXT's product category is Air Quality Forecasting & Environmental Monitoring Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHACAA, Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (Criteria Pollutants & Air Toxics), with a secondary code of EUAHAKAE, Air Quality Modeling & Dispersion Analytics (AERMOD/CALPUFF, Exposure Surfaces).