AI Platform Predicts Future Floods with Accuracy

Climate change has caused a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, leading to disastrous floods that cause not only environmental damage but also cost lives and billions of euros in damages. To tackle this problem head-on, Norwegian climate tech startup 7Analytics is using AI and machine learning to predict floods and minimize damage to infrastructure. The startup’s platform, FloodCube, analyzes vast amounts of terrain and land use data with a meter-scale accuracy to tell businesses, governments, and insurers how exactly the water will travel through the community during a future flood. The technology generates predictive insights which issue alerts 72 hours before a flood occurs, providing businesses and governments time to take necessary precautions to protect employees and assets. FloodCube pertains to high resolution data not yet offered by US and Australian companies. 7Analytics is expanding its customer base in Europe and the US and has already garnered contracts with Municipality of Bergen, Skanska, and Total Energies, requiring €2.5m for a round of funding in 2020 and looking for its Series A funding round in the next year. Climate adaptation tech has been regarded as the realm of NGOs and government, but the market outlook appears to be shifting, with more attention focused on adaptation. Climate mitigation technologies have dominantly acquired more investments, but stimulus-checks and recent climate disasters have directed more attention to climate tech adaptation. 7Analytics’ flood prevention platform is now part of the new wave of climate adaptation tech.