‘Jane’s Weather’ helps growers make more informed decisions by aggregating information from the top global weather models into one platform, eliminating the need to compare across different weather apps and sites.

The app was created by Jane Bunn, a familiar face in loungerooms across Australia after more than 15 years presenting the weather on The Weather Channel, WIN News, ABC News, and currently 7NEWS Melbourne.

After initially listing an opportunity on growAG. last year for a $750,000 equity raise, Jane’s Weather is now seeking $1.5 million to scale up AI and machine learning from local observation networks to tailor the app’s forecasts to individual properties, and bring the forecast range down to a 1x1km grid.

Ms Bunn said the app was all about helping farmers drive efficiency and mitigate risk.

“With hyperlocal forecasting and AI-driven predictions the app can say ‘you won’t be able to do that job until 3pm with today’s weather, so you can go and do something else in the meantime’.

“It’s the holy grail of information for growers, taking what has traditionally been vague, turning that on its head and making it incredibly precise for their individual operation.”

Interested in the investment opportunity with Jane’s Weather? Visit grow^AG here.

Ms Bunn said relying solely on traditional weather models is no longer sufficient to power precision agriculture.

“Most farms have some sort of weather network setup, but they aren’t located near a bureau station, so traditional weather models don’t incorporate their data into forecasts,” she said.

“We’re working on bridging that gap by using data direct from a user’s farm to supplement those holes in the current weather modelling and create a more accurate picture.”

The app was created to help farmers boost production amid challenging conditions.

“By taking the most accurate data and applying this machine learning, it gives farmers results tailored to exactly what’s happening on their property, removing the uncertainty of gambling on what the weather might do.

“The AI can take all the data about a crop you’ve planted, including soil moisture, temperature and sunlight, and make super-accurate predictions based on previous data collected on those factors.”

Angel, corporate and institutional investors have the opportunity to get involved with the scalable technology that aims to solve a fundamental problem facing every agriculture industry – accurate local weather forecasts.

The funding will be used to help bring the forecast range down to a 1 x 1km grid.

“Showers and thunderstorms are a huge part of our weather here in Australia, but these beasts are not that big – less than a kilometre wide,” Ms Bunn said.

“It’s amazing when you really pinpoint weather data and see that one area is getting drenched and another close by is completely dry.

“The top weather models currently forecast on a 9 x 9km or 12 x 12km grid, with some models even up to 50 x 50km. That’s just not accurate enough to know what’s happening across your farm.

As well as investors, Ms Bunn is also on the lookout for agritech platforms interested in an API integration with complimentary services.

“The platform has around 500 active, paying subscribers, and four API data feeds have already been established,” she said.

“On top of farming, the technology will be invaluable for those in construction, mining, forestry, fire services, aviation and logistics, all of which need to make commercial decisions based on the weather every day.”