ECMWF Code for Earth

Name

ECMWF Code for Earth

Legal name

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

Website

https://codeforearth.ecmwf.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Source Earth Sciences Innovation Programme

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Methodology Development & Standard-Setting Support (Protocols, Tools, Updates) (EUABACAN), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

Keywords

• Open source innovation
• Earth sciences software
• Weather climate forecasting
• Atmospheric machine learning
• Developer collaboration programme

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant/Fellowship Payments to Participants: Code for Earth is a funding programme, not a revenue-generating entity. ECMWF provides financial contributions to selected teams upon successful completion of their projects. The one-off financial contribution for selected teams under Data Visualisation, Machine Learning, or Software Development Streams is €5,000 per team. The contribution under the Africa Stream is €2,000 per successful team.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Code for Earth is an annual open-source innovation programme operated by ECMWF that recruits external developer teams through a public Call for Participation. Selected teams work with ECMWF and partner mentors during a four-month coding phase to build open-source software addressing challenges in weather forecasting, climate change, atmospheric monitoring, Copernicus services, and Destination Earth. Teams receive one-off financial contributions upon successful project completion and retain IP rights while granting licences to ECMWF and the EU.

Product overview

Code for Earth is an annual innovation programme run by ECMWF since 2018 (formerly Summer of Weather Code). The programme operates through four thematic streams: Data Visualization (Stream 1), Machine Learning (Stream 2), Software Development (Stream 3), and Africa Stream. Each year, selected developer teams work with ECMWF mentors to produce open-source software projects addressing challenges in weather, climate, atmosphere, Copernicus services, and Destination Earth. Projects range from interactive dashboards (Fire Front Radar, PowerClimate Vision), ML frameworks (TriHydrA, AIr-wise, Weather to Grid, CausaLCEI), data integration tools (GeoBridge, Project Atlantis), to numerical weather prediction templates (CLAM) and visualization tools (Tabula Caloris, VAE toolbox). Participants receive financial contributions (€5,000 for main streams, €2,000 for Africa Stream) upon successful completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Code for Earth Innovation Programme Annual programme that recruits external developer teams through an open Call for Participation to build open-source software addressing weather, climate, atmosphere, Copernicus, and Destination Earth challenges alongside ECMWF mentors; teams receive one-off financial contributions upon successful completion.
• Stream 1 - Data Visualization Challenge stream within Code for Earth focused on innovative data-visualization approaches, dashboards, visual narratives, and interactive mapping tools for earth-sciences applications using ECMWF and Copernicus data.
• Stream 2 - Machine Learning Challenge stream within Code for Earth focused on applying machine learning techniques — including forecasting, pattern recognition, and predictive analytics — to earth-sciences problems.
• Stream 3 - Software Development Challenge stream within Code for Earth focused on building software tools and libraries for weather forecasting, climate data analysis, and atmospheric monitoring using ECMWF and EU earth-science data.
• Africa Stream Challenge stream within Code for Earth focused on strengthening climate and weather resilience in Africa, supporting early warning systems and open innovation for weather and climate applications across the continent.
• Fire Front Radar Open-source interactive dashboard that visualises ECMWF fire-probability forecasts, providing global maps of Fire Occurrence Probability Index (FOPI) and Probability of Fire (PoF) values for wildfire risk awareness and decision-making.
• GeoBridge Open-source toolkit integrating Copernicus Data Stores (C3S, CAMS, CEMS) with GIS platforms, consisting of a Python library, semantic query layer, and QGIS plugin for accessing earth-science data.
• Project Atlantis Open-source scalable STAC/Zarr data pipeline that creates a machine-learning-ready archive of satellite-derived flood inundation observations, built on Docker and a Python geospatial stack.
• AIr-wise Open-source AI-driven air quality assessment framework that integrates forecast error modelling, probabilistic AQI estimation, and automated reporting for uncertainty-aware atmospheric analysis.
• TriHydrA Open-source three-layer verification framework for streamflow anomaly detection that combines time-series quality control, hydrological signature analysis, and catchment-context verification to distinguish true hydrological signals from data anomalies.
• PowerClimate Vision Open-source containerized geographic dashboard for exploring the Pan-European Climate Database (PECD), providing interactive maps and charts for climate-energy indicator comparisons.
• Weather to Grid Open-source subseasonal energy forecasting project that uses a causal machine-learning approach (CMM-VAE) to identify predictable weather patterns influencing European electricity demand and renewable energy production.
• CausaLCEI Open-source regime-conditioned causal compound event index framework for detecting, quantifying, and causally explaining compound weather events that stress renewable energy systems.
• CLAM Open-source reproducible WRF/WPS template that enables running local-area numerical weather prediction models on the European Weather Cloud.
• Tabula Caloris Open-source live event-based interface that transforms ECMWF forecasts, satellite detections, emissions data, and historical fire records into a unified workflow of maps, timelines, and indicators for wildfire decision-making.
• VAE toolbox Open-source Python package containing variational autoencoder-based deep-learning methods for identifying teleconnections and atmospheric circulation regimes within climate science.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 teams successfully completed innovative projects in 2024 edition
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFAB (International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The 2024 edition benefited from strengthened partnerships with IFAB, expanding the programme's impact through joint challenges on big data and AI applications.
• European Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024European Environment Agency partnered on joint challenges for Code for Earth 2024, contributing to environmental monitoring and data applications.
• University of ReadingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024University of Reading (UK) collaborated on joint challenges for Code for Earth 2024, contributing academic expertise to the programme.
• University of Bonn / Center for Earth Observation and Computational AnalysiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024University of Bonn's Center for Earth Observation and Computational Analysis (Germany) partnered on joint challenges for Code for Earth 2024.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum HereoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon collaborated on challenges related to air quality modelling and machine learning applications for environmental science.
• ICpac (IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICpac partnered with Code for Earth to develop unique joint challenges for the Africa Stream, focusing on climate prediction and applications for the African continent.
• AfriClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfriClimate collaborated with Code for Earth on joint challenges related to climate resilience in Africa, supporting open innovation for weather and climate applications.
• ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENTSO-E partnered with Code for Earth to develop challenges related to energy systems, grid operations, and climate-energy interactions.
• Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)coreTechnology or IntegrationC3S, the EU's climate change service, is a key supporting organisation providing data and challenges for Code for Earth projects.
• Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCAMS, the EU's atmosphere monitoring service, provides data and challenges for air quality and atmospheric applications.
• Destination Earth (DestinE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestinE, the EU's digital twin of Earth initiative, is supported by Code for Earth with challenges related to digital Earth modelling.
• European Weather Cloud (EWC)coreTechnology or IntegrationEuropean Weather Cloud, implemented by ECMWF and EUMETSAT, provides cloud computing resources. Teams with cloud processing requirements can apply for credits.
• Trust-IT Services LtdminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrust-IT Services Ltd, Via Francesco Redi 10, 56124 Pisa, Italy, executes grant payments on behalf of ECMWF to selected participants.
• CommPla S.r.l.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommPla S.r.l., via Nino Bixio 25, 56125 Pisa, Italy, organises the distribution of the newsletter and/or the submissions via the registration form.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Google Summer of Code: Google's flagship open-source fellowship programme that pays stipends to external developer contributors working on mentor-defined projects. Closely comparable operating model, stipend structure, and open-source IP framework to Code for Earth.
• NASA Space Apps Challenge: NASA's annual global hackathon engaging external developers and scientists to build open-source solutions using NASA earth/space data. Comparable community-led model and earth-science data focus, though delivered as a hackathon rather than a four-month fellowship.
• Outreachy: Internship programme placing contributors from underrepresented backgrounds in paid open-source roles with mentoring organisations. Comparable stipend-based, mentor-led open-source development model and global community structure.
• Climate Change AI: Community organisation catalysing machine learning research and projects for climate action, including grants and working groups. Comparable focus on the intersection of ML/AI and earth/climate science and open-source output ethos.

Broad incumbents

• UK Met Office: UK national meteorological agency operating parallel to ECMWF with adjacent weather/climate data, modelling, and research infrastructure. Comparable public-sector weather-data steward, though it does not run an equivalent open-source developer fellowship.
• ESA Phi-Lab: European Space Agency's transformation arm funding AI/ML research leveraging ESA earth-observation data. Broader incumbent comparable because of shared European institutional data focus, but operates as a much larger research funding instrument.
• European Space Agency (ESA) Open Innovation: ESA's broader open innovation portfolio including EO innovation programmes, AI4EO, and citizen science. Larger incumbent with adjacent open-source earth-observation developer engagement, but portfolio spans far beyond Code for Earth's narrow fellowship scope.
• EUMETSAT: European operational satellite agency for meteorology, co-implementing the European Weather Cloud with ECMWF. Natural partner and adjacent incumbent in the European weather data ecosystem where Code for Earth operates.

Emerging players

• DrivenData: Platform running data-science competitions for social impact including climate, environment, and public health. Comparable challenge-based open-source output model, though prize-funded rather than stipend-funded.

Others

• Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation community running accelerator programmes and education initiatives across Europe. Thematically related European climate-innovation vehicle, but oriented toward ventures and education rather than open-source software.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/codeforearth.bsky.social
• GitHubgithub.com/ECMWFCode4Earth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ecmwf-codeforearth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecmwf-code-for-earth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ECMWF Code for Earth