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.

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.