Few things generate more data than observing the Earth from above. But as co-founders Ryan Abernathey and Joe Hamman quickly realized, raw data alone wasn’t enough to make their startup thrive. That’s why Earthmover wants to become the Snowflake of weather and geospatial data, reshaping how organizations use constantly changing insights to make decisions.
Image Credits:NOAA
From Climate Tech to Real-Time Weather Insights
Originally built as a climate tech company, Earthmover pivoted its focus to real-time applications. Instead of long-term climate projections, it’s now zeroing in on how climate impacts daily life — namely, the weather.
“What makes a compelling use case for our platform? Data that change frequently,” Abernathey explained. “That’s where the urgency is — weather, fire, and new observations being generated every day.”
Climate outputs remain important, but they often feel static, with new models released only every few years. By focusing on fast-moving weather and geospatial data, Earthmover is positioning itself as the go-to platform for dynamic insights.
A Data Engine Built for Complex Systems
At its core, Earthmover is still about structure and scalability. Its data platform was designed to handle massive, complex sets.
“In geospatial they call it a raster. In AI, it’s a tensor. In old-school Fortran, it’s just an array,” Abernathey said. On top of that foundation, Earthmover has layered tools that help customers extract meaningful insights without needing to reinvent the wheel.
This technical backbone is why investors are betting big on the company’s future.
Funding and Growing Customer Base
The pivot has paid off. Earthmover now counts more than 10 paying customers and recently closed a $7.2 million seed round. The investment was led by Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from Costanoa Ventures and Preston-Werner Ventures.
The new funding will help Earthmover expand its toolset, giving businesses faster, smarter ways to harness weather and geospatial data.
Built on Open Source, Running Anywhere
Another reason Earthmover stands out is its deep connection to the open-source community. Its platform leverages widely used tools like Xarray, Pangeo, and Icechunk.
The system is also flexible, running on all major cloud providers — including Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure — as well as on-premises servers. With both Abernathey and Hamman having contributed to open-source projects like Pangeo and Xarray, their credibility runs deep.
Why Earthmover’s Pivot Matters
By targeting rapidly changing weather and geospatial data, Earthmover is chasing a space where urgency meets opportunity. In the same way Snowflake redefined how companies used structured data, Earthmover aims to do the same for the ever-shifting data streams that shape our daily lives.
If it succeeds, it won’t just help businesses adapt to changing weather — it could become the backbone of decision-making in industries from agriculture to energy.
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