The rise of Meteo Monopolies: Consolidation within the Meteorological Industry
/The meteorological sensor industry is in the midst of a hasty wave of consolidations by investment firms ever since global warming has become their latest fad. What does this mean for consumers? Consolidation at this unprecedented pace (see tables below), together with a hasty investment rush, results in a reduction in market competition. While market consolidation can be a good thing, the current pace of consolidation of established players, not startups, can be a sign of concern. In the long-term, reduction in market competition can only lead to lower quality overpriced products and strengthens barriers to entry for small independent players. Having experienced it first hand, it is the case today. Only large players have enough lobbying power to “guide” government tender specifications in their favor through corrupt practices in the developing world. One company, Varysian, is aiming to change that by opening up the conversation with meteorological departments’ leadership and technical personnel at the local level while adhering to the work of WMO, the Alliance for Hydromet Development and the wider UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 mandate.
The following tables list just some of the latest consolidations in the industry. 13 independent companies are now owned by 3. You be the judge, whether it is good or bad for the industry.
| Six companies are now owned by one. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Davis Instruments | Jul 31, 2019 | Davis Instruments acquired by AE Monitoring |
| LAMBRECHT meteo | Mar 31, 2019 | LAMBRECHT meteo acquired by AE Monitoring |
| FTS Forest Technology Systems | Jan 2, 2019 | FTS Forest Technology Systems acquired by AE Monitoring |
| Vieux & Associates | Jul 31, 2018 | Vieux & Associates acquired by AE Monitoring |
| OneRain | Mar 8, 2018 | OneRain acquired by AE Monitoring |
| High Sierra Electronics | Mar 8, 2018 | High Sierra Electronics acquired by AE Monitoring |
| Three to one consolidation. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nielsen-Kellerman | Oct 12, 2017 | Nielsen-Kellerman acquired by Clearview Capital Investments for an undisclosed amount |
| Ambient Weather | Jan 2, 2020 | Ambient Weather acquired by Nielsen-Kellerman for an undisclosed amount |
| RainWise | Jan, 2020 | RainWise acquired by Nielsen-Kellerman for an undisclosed amount |
| Four to one consolidation. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Leosphere | Oct 5, 2018 | Leosphere acquired by Vaisala |
| 3TIER | Dec 17, 2013 | 3TIER acquired by Vaisala |
| Second Wind | Sep 15, 2013 | Second Wind acquired by Vaisala |
| Veriteq Instruments | Mar 29, 2010 | Veriteq Instruments acquired by Vaisala |
Data for these tables was acquired from https://www.crunchbase.com.
Manufacturer of high-quality meteorological solutions for Smart-City environmental sensor networks including the MeteoHelix IoT, MeteoRain IoT and MeteoWind IoT wireless weather station and sensors.