THE 30STARTUPS OF KANSAI

Metro Weather is a deep-tech startup founded in 2015, born out of large atmospheric radar research at Kyoto University. At our core is signal extraction technology: the ability to pull meaningful information out of faint signals buried in noise. We have built this capability into compact Doppler lidar, using laser light to visualize the wind above us in three dimensions and in real time, and to detect, identify and track small drones. From defense to critical infrastructure, aviation and maritime shipping, we provide information services for the sky.

Until now, the wind and the situation in the airspace above us have stayed invisible. We deliver that information to the people who need it. For the Self-Defense Forces and critical infrastructure operators, early detection of suspicious drones flying low through radar blind spots, and prediction of how toxic gas or chemicals will spread. For airports and drone operators, detection of turbulence and wind shear for safer takeoff and landing. For shipping and power companies, optimized routes and facility operations. We turn judgments once left to experience and intuition into decisions grounded in real-time physical data, protecting lives and infrastructure.

Observation data accumulated over many years from Kyoto University’s large radar, together with signal processing algorithms we have refined through real operation: this is our barrier to entry. By reading the slight differences in the light reflection pattern unique to every object, we tell instantly whether a distant point is a suspicious drone or a harmless bird. Theory can be copied; know-how earned in real operation cannot. Delivering both wind observation and object detection, our technology is established as a dual-use asset serving defense and civilian markets alike.

AI has learned everything on the internet, but the atmosphere never repeats the same state twice, so real-time information has to be acquired continuously. Our long-term vision is to become the real-time data infrastructure that supplies AI with primary atmospheric information. Building on a track record with defense, Japan’s most demanding customer, we will expand into critical infrastructure such as power, airports and railways, and then overseas. We are evolving from providing hardware to providing AI solutions on a shared platform, building a network that captures the sky in real time so that anyone can use it with confidence.