〈 Advancing Dual-Use Deployment in Defense and Critical Infrastructure Through Practical Application of Object Detection LiDAR 〉

Metro Weather Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Uji City, Kyoto; Representative Director, President: Junichi Furumoto; hereinafter “Metro Weather”) announced today that it has raised a total of ¥1.5 billion through a third-party allotment of new shares to Incubate Fund, Inc. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; General Partners: Tohru Akaura, Masahiko Homma, Keisuke Wada, Yusuke Murata, and Paul McInerney; hereinafter “Incubate Fund”) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Eisaku Ito; hereinafter “MHI”) as part of its Series B round. This brings Metro Weather’s total funds raised to date to ¥3.56 billion. The company plans to conduct a second close in this round, targeting a total of ¥2.5 billion for the full Series B round.

Founded in 2015 as a deep-tech startup originating from Kyoto University, Metro Weather has developed Doppler LiDAR systems that use remote sensing and proprietary signal processing technologies to visualize wind conditions in real time and in three dimensions. Building on this technology base, the company is now developing an Object Detection LiDAR that complements radar and other existing systems by detecting unauthorized drones and similar threats in areas that conventional technology cannot fully cover. The effectiveness of the underlying component technologies has been verified, and Metro Weather is now advancing the system toward practical use as defense equipment.

 

［Key Points］

● A new model of partnership between a defense-tech startup focused on building the dual-use market and a major venture capital firm

● A pioneering partnership between a major, diversified heavy industry manufacturer and a Japanese defense-tech startup

● Accelerating the practical application of Object Detection LiDAR toward dual-use deployment in defense and critical infrastructure protection

 

Background to This Funding Round

In recent years, the rapid proliferation of drones has made the threat of unauthorized drones approaching or intruding upon critical facilities an increasingly serious issue worldwide. Counter-drone technology that can rapidly detect and respond to unauthorized drones has become an urgent priority not only for defense but also for the protection of critical infrastructure, including airports and power plants.
Incubate Fund, which focuses on emerging growth sectors in Japan, has high expectations for Metro Weather’s business growth potential in the dual-use domain, and decided to invest on that basis.
MHI, which develops and manufactures defense equipment across a wide range of domains spanning land, sea, air, and space, recognized Metro Weather’s Object Detection LiDAR as a technology that complements its existing capabilities and creates new value, and decided to invest accordingly. Going forward, MHI and Metro Weather will combine MHI’s extensive expertise with Metro Weather’s proprietary remote sensing technology to advance initiatives addressing security-related challenges, while developing technologies that meet social needs such as critical infrastructure protection, and contributing to the realization of a safe and sustainable society.

Comments on This Announcement

Masashi Ihara, General Partner, Growth Team, Incubate Fund
“The significance of the defense and security domain for Japan’s national security and sustainable future has never been greater. We are convinced that the entry of highly capable startups into the defense industry is key to accelerating innovation in this field. Metro Weather has built a solid track record on the strength of its proprietary technology originating from Kyoto University. Having now secured Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a powerful partner, the company has entered a new growth stage. We are delighted to be able to support the company at this pivotal moment, and we will do everything we can to support its advance in the dual-use market.”

Atsushi Matsuo, Senior General Manager, Growth Strategy Office, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
“As the social and security environment both in Japan and overseas becomes increasingly tense and rapidly changing, the importance of advanced sensor and information-processing technologies that support cross-domain operations and system integration is growing. Metro Weather’s Object Detection LiDAR is a highly distinctive technology capable of covering areas that conventional technologies could not, and we have great expectations for its potential. Responding to the rapid changes in market and societal needs requires open innovation with startups that combine strong technical capabilities with flexibility. By combining the practical application and mass-production expertise we have cultivated over the years with Metro Weather’s advanced technology, we will contribute to solving social challenges such as critical infrastructure protection and to building a safe and secure social foundation.”

Junichi Furumoto, Representative Director, President, Metro Weather Co., Ltd.
“We are truly delighted to receive investment from both Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Incubate Fund. Entering the defense equipment industry in earnest requires not only strong technical capabilities, but also the ability to meet specifications and precision requirements that exceed those of civilian products, as well as a security-conscious production system. We believe that collaborating with MHI, which has a long track record in the development and manufacture of defense equipment, is the fastest path to overcoming this challenge. At the same time, responding flexibly and swiftly to the fast-changing demands of the defense industry is our strength as a startup. Building on this funding round and partnership, we will accelerate the practical application of our Object Detection LiDAR and advance its social implementation as a technology that contributes not only to defense but also to the protection of critical infrastructure.”


Company Overview

Incubate Fund
Since its founding in 2010, Incubate Fund has managed over ¥150 billion in total assets under the motto of “relentlessly supporting the challenges of aspiring entrepreneurs.” Through its flagship fund and related funds, it has invested in more than 800 startups, and holds the largest track record in Japan among venture capital firms specializing in the seed stage. The fund behind this investment, IF Growth Fund I Investment Limited Partnership (hereinafter “IF Growth Fund I”), was established in 2025 together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to invest in growth-stage startups in Japan. IF Growth Fund I makes carefully selected investments in domestic startups in focus areas such as deep tech, providing growth capital and liquidity to maximize corporate value around the time of listing.

(Head Office) Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza B 5F, 5-9-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
(URL) https://incubatefund.com/

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Since its founding in 1884, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has been a global leader in engineering and manufacturing, and a representative Japanese heavy industry manufacturer operating across a wide range of business domains, including Energy Systems, Plants & Infrastructure Systems, Logistics, Thermal & Drive Systems, and Aircraft, Defense & Space. Combining the advanced technological capabilities cultivated over its long history with cutting-edge expertise, MHI is engaged in energy transition toward a carbon-neutral society, smart social infrastructure, and the advancement of cybersecurity.
(Head Office) 3-2-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
(URL) https://www.mhi.com/

Metro Weather Co., Ltd.
Metro Weather has developed a Doppler LiDAR that visualizes wind conditions in real time and in three dimensions by irradiating fine particles in the atmosphere with infrared lasers and analyzing the slight frequency shifts in the reflected light caused by particle movement (the Doppler effect). Leveraging remote sensing technology and proprietary signal analysis technology cultivated at Kyoto University, the company has achieved a compact, high-performance Doppler LiDAR capable of highly accurate, wide-area wind observation. Building on its wind-sensing capabilities, Metro Weather is now working to create new businesses across a broad range of fields using its object detection technology, currently under research and development, with the aim of building a safe and secure society on a global scale.
(Head Office) Taniyama Okubo Bldg. 1F, 18-1 Chayaura, Hirono-cho, Uji City, Kyoto
(URL) https://www.metroweather.jp/