Metro Weather has been selected for NEDO’s “Deep-Tech Startups Support Fund / Deep-Tech Startups Support Program”.
Metro Weather Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Uji, Kyoto; President and CEO: Jun-ichi Furumoto; hereinafter “MetroWeather”) has been selected for the PCA phase (late-stage applied research and development) of the “Deep-Tech Startups Support Fund / Deep-Tech Startups Support Program” (hereinafter “DTSU”) by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The company is scheduled to receive a grant of up to approximately 670 million yen for its project titled “Development of a Compact, Low-Cost Doppler LiDAR and Accuracy Verification Method for Mass Production.”

◾️ Development of a Compact and Lightweight Mass-Production Model Doppler LiDAR with Enhanced Installability.
In the full-scale commercial use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it is essential to continuously and accurately assess weather conditions, suspend operations when potentially hazardous weather is expected, and maintain service levels by selecting safe flight routes and altitudes—even under mildly adverse weather conditions.

To support stable operations, Metro Weather aims to provide a comprehensive service that enables UAV and drone operators and flight managers to make informed “Go” or “Not Go” decisions. This includes direct measurement and visualization of wind conditions across a 15 km radius field, around drone ports, along flight paths, and in urban areas affected by building-induced wind turbulence.

With the support of this grant, Metro Weather will accelerate the development of a compact, lightweight, and low-cost Doppler LiDAR system, along with methods for verifying its accuracy for mass production.

◾️About DTSU
The Deep-Tech Startups Support Program (DTSU) is designed to achieve the ambitious goals outlined in Japan’s “Five-Year Startups Development Plan.” It aims to significantly boost investment in deep tech startups and foster the emergence of unicorns, while promoting business growth, commercialization, and social implementation of innovative technologies with a global market perspective. The program also seeks to accelerate the creation of new added value stemming from these technologies.
Reference: https://www.nedo.go.jp/english/activities/activities_ZZJP_100250.html

◾️ About Doppler LiDAR
Doppler LiDAR is a type of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. It emits harmless infrared laser beams toward fine particles suspended in the air and receives the reflected signals. This enables three-dimensional measurement of wind direction and wind speed within a 15 km radius.

◾️ About Metro Weather 
Metro Weather develops, sells, and provides data services using Doppler LiDAR that detect and analyze wind conditions in real time and in three dimensions. These systems utilize infrared light to detect scattered reflections from airborne dust and particles, applying the Doppler effect for analysis.

To address societal challenges using Doppler LiDAR, Metro Weather is conducting joint research and demonstration projects with multiple companies and research institutions both domestically and internationally. Since 2021, the company has also participated in NASA’s research and development projects.