Metro Weather Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Uji City, Kyoto; Representative Director, President: Junichi Furumoto; hereinafter “Metro Weather”) is pleased to announce that it has raised a total of 850 million yen in a Pre-Series B round through a third-party allotment of shares to five corporate investors.

This round includes participation from existing corporate investors -Yanmar Ventures Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka City, Osaka; Co-Founder/ Managing Partner: Nobuyuki Oda), MOL PLUS Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takuya Sakamoto), and Kanetsu Co., Ltd.(Head Office: Kyoto City, Kyoto; President and CEO: Hiroki Matsui), two new shareholders have joined: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hideya Moridaira) and TOKYO KEIKI Inc. (Head Office: Ohta-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Tsuyoshi Ando).

The funds raised in this round will be used to continue the development of Doppler LiDAR technology and to accelerate commercialization efforts aimed at expanding into defense and civilian sectors, a move that is gaining momentum from 2025 onward. Metro Weather aims to further grow its business through these initiatives.

Metro Weather develops and manufactures Doppler LiDAR systems that use infrared lasers to observe wind conditions in real time. Leveraging years of expertise in remote sensing and proprietary signal analysis technology, the company has achieved high-precision and wide-area wind condition observing. In addition, Metro Weather is developing UX/UI solutions tailored to various needs for visualizing wind data, with the goal of providing integrated solutions across a wide range of industries.

Currently, in addition to wind condition observing, Metro Weather is also working on object detection technologies using Doppler LiDAR. As the company considers mass production and commercialization of its Doppler LiDAR systems, it is accelerating efforts to build a dual-use supply chain that meets both defense and civilian needs, aiming for broad business deployment. The funds raised will be allocated to these commercialization efforts, with the goal of contributing to global safety and security through Doppler LiDAR technology.

 

【Comments from the Pre-Series B Round Investors】
(New Investors)
“Furukawa Electric has entered into a capital and business alliance with Metro Weather, recognizing the company’s advanced Doppler LiDAR technology and its promising future. Technical co-creation has already begun, leveraging Furukawa Electric’s core photonics technologies to enhance the evolution of Doppler LiDAR. Going forward, Furukawa Electric will support equipment manufacturing, productivity improvements, and joint marketing efforts to promote the deployment of Doppler LiDAR in both defense and civilian sectors, contributing to Metro Weather’s business growth and broader societal implementation”– Kazutaka Nara, General Manager, Social Design & New Business Development and Global Marketing Sales Division

“TOKYO KEIKI initiated contact with Metro Weather during a defense industry networking event, which ultimately led to this business alliance. In addition to wind condition observation, we believe that the object detection technology currently under development using Doppler LiDAR will become a critical solution in addressing the growing threat posed by drones in recent years. With extensive experience in developing and manufacturing defense equipment—primarily for aircraft and naval vessels—we are committed to working closely with Metro Weather to explore the integration of Doppler LiDAR into future defense systems.”– Tsuyoshi Ando, Representative Director, President and CEO, TOKYO KEIKI Inc.

(Existing Investors)
“Metro Weather has shown strong execution in developing and deploying Doppler lidar technology since its founding, despite many challenges. We are pleased to join this follow-on round, continuing our support from the previous investment, based on the company’s strong potential.
Last year, their real-time wind data at the “BIWAKO DRAGON INVITATION 2024” yacht race at Yanmar Sunset Marina was highly praised by top international sailors. We believe their compact Doppler lidar can help address societal challenges and deliver new value across industries. ”– Haru Noda, Senior Capitalist, Yanmar Ventures Co., Ltd.

“The maritime and offshore industries are closely connected with wind environment. Within the shipping industry, there is significant potential to create new businesses from both the perspectives of safe transportation and the utilization of wind energy. Toward the broader societal adoption of Doppler LiDAR technology, we will contribute as an end user in the shipping and logistics fields—core business areas of the MOL Group—by exploring applications for wind measurement and forecasting solutions and expanding their use. We aim to provide strong tailwinds on Metro Weather’s journey to “master the wind. ””– Takuya Sakamoto, CEO, MOL PLUS Co., Ltd.  

“Metro Weather has pioneered new possibilities in wind condition observation by integrating remote sensing technology with signal analysis. We deeply resonate with their continued commitment to making the invisible flow of air “visible” through technological innovation. As societal demands for safety and security in the skies continue to rise, we have high expectations that the mass production and commercialization of Doppler LiDAR systems will accelerate, leading to widespread social implementation across various sectors, including both defense and civilian fields. Moving forward, we will continue to support the company’s sustainable growth and the creation of social value as a partner connecting advanced technologies with real-world applications. ”– Hiroki Matsui, President and CEO, KANETSU Co., Ltd.