Metro Weather Co., Ltd. (Head Office; Uji, Kyoto; President and CEO: Jun-ichi Furumoto; hereinafter “Metro Weather”) is pleased to announce that it has received the Special Award in the Entrepreneur Category at the 19th Nippon New Business Creation Awards, hosted by Public Interest Incorporated Japan New Business Conference Association (JNB).

■ About the Nippon New Business Creation Awards
The Nippon New Business Creation Awards recognize companies (or their representatives) that deliver innovative products and services to the market through new business initiatives, either independently or in collaboration with third parties. The awards also honor individuals and organizations with outstanding achievements in supporting new business activities, as well as companies expanding globally and contributing to economic and regional revitalization in Japan.
For more details, please refer to the official website.(Japanese Only)

■ Reason for the Award (Excerpt from the Organizer)
Metro Weather has developed a compact, high-performance Doppler liDAR capable of measuring low-altitude wind conditions in three dimensions with high precision. The company’s core technologies include remote sensing and signal processing techniques that extract weak signals from data—originally developed through research at Kyoto University.
This technology has potential applications in wind power generation, airport equipment, maritime navigation systems, and drones. In particular, its use in maritime navigation systems has shown up to 20% improvement in fuel efficiency and reduction in CO₂ emissions.
Metro Weather has also been selected for programs such as NEDO and NASA SBIR.

■ Overview of Metro Weather’s Business
As drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles enter full-scale commercialization, it is essential to continuously assess weather conditions and suspend operations when hazardous conditions are anticipated. To maintain service levels, operators must select safe routes and altitudes—even under mildly adverse weather conditions.

Metro Weather addresses these needs by utilizing Doppler lidar technology to enable direct observation and visualization of wind conditions around drone ports, along flight paths, in urban areas with complex building winds, and over the ocean.
We aim to provide comprehensive services that deliver actionable weather data to drone and UAV operators and flight managers, helping them make informed go/no-go decisions.
Additionally, by equipping ships with our technology, we support eco-ship operations through optimal route selection and fuel savings.