ClimateAi Shuts Down After Eight Years, Cites Geopolitical and Climate Headwinds

ClimateAi, a San Francisco-based startup that built predictive climate analytics tools for agricultural and financial clients, has shut down after eight years, becoming the latest adaptation technology company to fold despite significant venture backing.

“We’ve decided to shut down ClimateAi and return the capital to our investors. Geopolitical and climate headwinds made it hard to continue our mission,” wrote CEO and Co-Founder Himanshu Gupta on LinkedIn earlier today. “When we started, ‘climate adaptation’ wasn’t a category. Today, it’s a real market with real companies in it,” he added. A former employee confirmed to Climate Proof that the company ceased operations last Friday.

ClimateAi launched in 2017, and claimed to build “the first climate resilience platform”, providing predictive weather and climate analytics to a range of clients in the agriculture, food and beverage, and financial institutions space. Clients and partners listed on its website include Dole, Suntory, Oatly, and Nuveen Natural Capital.

The company raised around US$38mn overall according to Crunchbase. Its most recent round — a US$22mn Series B that closed in April 2023 — drew backing from Four Rivers Group, Neotribe Ventures, and Yaletown Partners, among others. An earlier US$12mn Series A closed in 2021 included the Footprint Coalition, a venture fund founded by actor Robert Downey Jr.

The closure adds to a growing list of casualties in the adaptation technology sector. UK-based Cervest and New York- and Nairobi-based Gro Intelligence both shut down in 2024 after raising millions from investors.

“Building a category-creating and mission-driven company is hard work, but if I had to do it all over again, even knowing the outcome, I would still do it. The company ends, but our mission lives,” wrote Gupta.

ClimateAi’s investors did not respond to Climate Proof’s requests for comment by press time.

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Louie Woodall
Editor