Weather prediction could ease some delays
Thu May 01 12:35:04 CDT 2008from ASAP News
In a new study conducted by WeatherBill; a weather-risk management outfit based in San Francisco, California, USA , it has been shown that there may be hope in calculating how weather patterns averaged out over 30 years along with seasonal averages can compare with the present outside temperature to create a reliable figure. (continue reading)
Weather-related flight delays can be predicted
Wed Apr 30 12:32:23 CDT 2008from Aviation.com & MSNBC
New research shows that the extent of weather-related airline flight delays and disruptions at any major U.S. airport in any given season can be predicted reliably. (continue reading)
Study Finds Weather Major Cause of Flight Disruptions
Fri Apr 25 12:47:42 CDT 2008from Modern Agent Travel Pulse
WeatherBill has published a study identifying the relationship between weather conditions and flight disruptions (both cancellations and delays) in the United States. (continue reading)
Weather top reason for flight disruptions
Fri Apr 25 12:41:44 CDT 2008from Cheapflights.com
A study from WeatherBill has found that 14 percent of all flight disruptions are caused by unexpected weather conditions. (continue reading)
from Gadling
Doesn’t it seem like whenever a drop of rain falls on the New York City tarmac that all flight delays skyrocket? Well, it’s not your imagination. We now have numbers to prove it! (continue reading)
Farmers’ Almanac: Ever wonder what area of the country sees the most rain?
Fri Apr 18 15:14:49 CDT 2008from Farmers’ Almanac
WeatherBill, a company that provides weather protection services for companies and industries, analyzed U.S. rainfall and rainy day data, from 200 National Weather Service Stations in 195 cities across 48 states, from the last thirty years to identify precipitation averages, seasonality, volatility and trends. (continue reading)
Cisterning rain can save money, ease runoff
Sat Apr 05 12:56:04 CDT 2008from The Times-Picayune
What’s more, New Orleans is the third rainiest city in the 48 contiguous states, with an average of 65 inches of rain per year, according to a study conducted by WeatherBill Inc. of San Francisco. (Lafayette, Baton Rouge and Lake Charles were all in the top 10.)
“You do those calculations and you see how much water is just running off,” Evans said. (read the entire article)
Business Week: Weather or Not
Mon Mar 03 14:54:09 CST 2008from Quick Takes
… a way for small companies to hedge the weather: They can buy contracts for a specific day, week, or quarter, receiving payment if weather clobbers revenues. (continue reading)
Blendco Systems Tip of the Month
Mon Feb 25 13:28:41 CST 2008from Blendco Systems
In this business, it’s natural to find yourself praying to the weather gods to smile on your carwash. (continue reading)
WeatherBill Press Release
Thu Feb 07 01:00:24 CST 2008WeatherBill Expands Team with Addition of Leading Weather Insurance Veteran; Opens East Coast Office
SAN FRANCISCO Calif. – Feb. 07, 2008 – WeatherBill today announced that Christine Ingraham, a weather insurance industry leader, has been appointed as Sales Director for the company’s new East Coast branch in Georgetown, Massachusetts. Ingraham and the new East Coast office will better serve the needs of WeatherBill’s rapidly growing client base and distribution partners, including insurance agencies, brokers, and other financial services professionals. Ingraham will report directly to WeatherBill’s CEO and Founder David Friedberg.
“Christine’s expertise and credibility are well recognized in the weather insurance industry and we’re thrilled to have her on the team,” says Friedberg. “She’s looking forward to offering clients a new, hassle-free form of weather coverage. Unlike insurance, WeatherBill does not require a claims process, underwriting or proof of loss. Christine can now provide brokers and business owners with instant pricing for contracts that support up to millions of dollars in coverage. That fast flexibility opens the door to weather-sensitive businesses left unserved in the past.”
Ingraham has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry; twelve of which were spent in weather insurance. She most recently served as a President of the WKF&C Specialty of Massachusetts (a subsidiary of WKF&C Agency, Inc. New York) where she worked directly with surplus lines brokers in developing weather programs. She has worked at both agency and carrier levels, previously at Good Weather Insurance Agency (the original U.S. provider of weather insurance), Met P&C, and Travelers Insurance Company.
Ingraham will assist clients and retail insurance agents in designing custom profit-protection programs in North America and Europe. Ingraham’s experience includes designing coverage for professional sports teams, advertising agencies, production/promotion providers, music events, travel companies, small businesses, municipalities, and entertainment venues.
“The easy customizable solutions offered by WeatherBill will serve the industry quite well,” says Ingraham. “WeatherBill is exciting and innovative, enabling powerful yet affordable coverage for containing cost, stabilizing income and increasing sales opportunities for any business. It is energizing and rewarding to provide business owners with products designed specifically to minimize financial loss caused by the weather. This industry is truly about helping people.”
WeatherBill, Inc. (www.weatherbill.com) provides the only online service that allows businesses to protect revenue and control costs from the impact of bad weather. Founded by CEO David Friedberg and CTO Siraj Khaliq, former members of the Google team, WeatherBill is funded by New Enterprise Associates, Index Ventures, and Allen & Company and is backed by Nephila Capital, one of the world’s largest weather risk and catastrophe reinsurance fund managers.
WeatherBill on Red River Radio
Tue Feb 05 11:32:06 CST 2008from Kate Archer Kent
To listen to the story, click on this link: http://stream.publicbroadcastin
When it gets too dry, he’s well covered
Mon Jan 14 11:11:49 CST 2008from the Atlanta Journal Constitution
When it doesn’t rain, it pours. Money, that is. (continue reading)
Growers use new weather protection
Fri Jan 11 11:31:37 CST 2008from the Fresno Bee
It was a year ago today that a crippling freeze began in the central San Joaquin Valley and ended up costing citrus growers and packers such as Phillip LoBue a total of hundreds of millions of dollars. (continue reading)
Betting on the weather? How Canadian
Wed Jan 09 11:26:17 CST 2008from the Globe and Mail
To protect against warmer winters, a study suggests vintners could cushion their icewine crop with a well-placed wager (continue reading)
How to hedge risks against nature
Fri Jan 04 11:57:31 CST 2008from The Financial Post
Thousands of Quebec travelers who came out on the winning end of a quirky promotion from itravel2000.com have an entrepreneur with a background in astrophysics to thank for their good fortune. (continue reading)
Snowstorm? Bring it on, say eager vacationers
Thu Jan 03 12:28:51 CST 2008from The National Post
Carmelo Mauro woke up at 4 a.m. yesterday, opened the front door of his Mississauga home and stuck his head outside, hoping to see the yard blanketed in snow.
The 56-year-old father of four waited until the sun rose before rousing his family to happily tell them about the storm. Then, every few hours throughout the day, he went out with a metal ruler and measured the height of the snow. (continue reading)
Quebec travellers cash in on risk management offer
Thu Jan 03 12:05:44 CST 2008from Canadian Underwriter
Thousands of Quebecers will be traveling on the dime of an online travel risk management service, thanks to more than five inches of snow that fell at Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport in Montreal. (continue reading)
Mother Nature hands Quebecers a free trip south
Thu Jan 03 11:51:32 CST 2008from The Montreal Gazette
Thanks to a national marketing gamble with Mother Nature by online travel retailer itravel2000.com, Mandeville and other Quebecers who booked trips between June 12 and Dec. 7 for travel between Nov. 1 and April 30 will get the price of their vacations - minus the taxes - refunded. (continue reading)
Quebec Residents Win Free Travel After Snow Blankets Montreal
Wed Jan 02 12:24:31 CST 2008from Bloomberg
Thousands of Quebec residents won free vacations after snow blanketed Montreal on New Year’s Day, qualifying them for refunds under a travel company’s promotion. (continue reading)
Thousands of Quebecers win free vacation contest
Wed Jan 02 12:20:47 CST 2008from CTV
Thousands of travelers from Quebec will get a late holiday gift because of a New Year’s Day blast of snow. (continue reading and see video)
Snow sends thousands from Canada on free tropical vacations
Wed Jan 02 12:09:11 CST 2008From 
Thousands of Canadians won a free winter getaway Wednesday in this country’s largest ever travel promotion which was pegged to a minimum five inches (12.7 cm) of snow falling on New Year’s day. (continue reading)
Thousands of Quebec travellers win free vacation contest to begin New Year
Wed Jan 02 12:04:00 CST 2008from The Canadian Press
The “Let It Snow promotion” by itravel2000.com, Canada’s largest online travel retailer, offered holidayers who booked through the company a chance to win their vacation package, flight or hotel if five inches (12.7 centimeters) of snow fell at one of four airports nearest them - specifically Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and Calgary - on New Year’s Day. (continue reading)
12.7 centimetres of snow could mean free air travel
Tue Jan 01 12:31:44 CST 2008from CTV
Thousands of Canadians hoped to start the new year off with a free vacation if more than 12.7 centimetres of snow fell on their part of the country Tuesday. (continue reading)
WeatherBill Publishes Study Identifying the Impact of Weather on Film Box Office Revenue
Fri Dec 28 05:55:10 CST 2007WeatherBill today announced the release of a new study analyzing the impact of weather on film box office revenue. The study found that top ten box office films earn significantly less – up to a third lower – on warmer weekends than on average or dry ones. The full study can be downloaded at http://www.weatherbill.com/reports/boxofficeweather and a summary is available at http://www.weatherbill.com/reports/boxofficeweather-summary.
“Historically, the concept of weather motivating or deterring filmgoers was based on speculation and anecdote,” said David Friedberg, founder and CEO of WeatherBill. “It’s remarkable that such a weather-sensitive industry hasn’t had a publicly available fact-based weather study. We believe it’s important for the film industry to understand the impact of weather on revenue as a first step in managing weather risk and protecting profits.”
WeatherBill analyzed nearly ten years of United Kingdom box office data to identify the effect of weather on revenue from each weekend’s ten top-grossing films. Both temperature and precipitation can negatively impact box office revenue. While the top grossing film brings in about 9% less on a warm or dry weekend, films grossing in the 8th-10th spots bring in over 30% less on a warm weekend. Time of year also played a role in how temperature and precipitation affected revenue. Summer months turned out to be particularly susceptible to the impact of weather.
2007 was the wettest summer in the UK since records began in 1914, and August was the coldest in more than a decade. Film industry experts speculate that audiences were motivated to seek indoor entertainment because of the summer’s record-setting inclement weather resulting in record admissions of 50.8 million viewers, a 40-year high, according to box office figures. This study confirms that speculation, and although United Kingdom climate is infamous for cold and wet weather, dry and warm weekends occur with enough frequency to significantly impact revenue. The identifiable and measurable impact demonstrated in the study can be translated to US box office regions with relatively uniform weather.
“Clearly, warm and dry weather negatively impacts box office revenue, and with enough frequency and severity to warrant a new approach to managing that weather risk,” said Friedberg. “WeatherBill is designed to be easy and affordable for all kinds of businesses, including film studios, production houses, vendors, and theater owners. WeatherBill is readily available to help these businesses manage weather risk with a simple, customizable, and affordable solution.”
Weather Has Major Impact On Summer Moviegoing Habits
Thu Dec 27 12:14:36 CST 2007from Cinema Blend
What are movies if not high-falutin’ weather shelters? When it’s too hot outside to even think, giant robots blowing each other up will always be there for you. And when it’s pouring rain and the kids and you are about to kill each other all cooped up inside, Will Smith will make you feel love again. (continue reading)
Climate Change & Construction
Tue Nov 20 17:59:22 CST 2007from Construction Business Owner
Bad weather can turn a missed construction deadline into a news headline. But bad weather isn’t news to construction business owners who go to work with the elements every day. (continue reading)
Startup warms to Europe
Sun Nov 18 11:50:12 CST 2007from The Financial Times & MSNBC
WeatherBill, an online service that allows clients to insure against weather risk, has launched its first European weather derivatives contract as part of its global expansion strategy. (continue reading)
Netherlands Construction Industry Gets New Form of Frost Leave Protection
Wed Nov 14 11:18:59 CST 2007
Netherlands Frost, taken by Jorrit on Weather Zone
San Francisco, CA– WeatherBill (www.weatherbill.com), the only online service that allows businesses to protect revenue and control costs from the impact of bad weather, today formally announced its expansion into The Netherlands. WeatherBill also unveiled the company’s newest form of protection, The Netherlands Frost Day Contract, providing an affordable solution for construction firms absorbing the cost of the worker Frost Leave benefit
Frost Leave is a defined benefit for construction workers in The Netherlands. The benefit states that workers are permitted to go home with pay during a Frost Day. A Frost Day is specifically defined as any day when the temperature falls below -3.5 degrees Celsius at 7am, -0.5 degrees Celsius or less between 7am and 10am, or -1.5 and below at 10am. A Netherlands Frost Day Contract pays a construction firm when the number of Frost Days reaches a predetermined amount set by the firm, during a specified time period. Unlike historical forms of Frost Leave protection, a WeatherBill Frost Day Contract can be customized and purchased online at any time.
“A Netherlands Frost Day Contract is an important way to guard against the financial loss experienced by construction firms due to Frost Leave benefit payments,” said WeatherBill CEO David Friedberg. “WeatherBill provides a simple, online service that allows construction firms to fully customize a Frost Day Contract.”
WeatherBill Frost Day Contracts can be customized based on weather measured in Amsterdam, De Bilt, Deelen, Eindhoven, Groningen, Twenthe, Maastricht and Rotterdam. WeatherBill also provides complete weather protection from rain, drought, heat, or cold in The Netherlands, North America, and four additional Western European countries. WeatherBill Contracts can be purchased and paid out in several currencies including Euros and United States Dollars.
Millions of Mexicans Hope for Snow!
Mon Nov 05 12:38:56 CST 2007from MarketWire
Why are they doing this you ask? They know that if their snow dreams come true that thousands of Canadians will get their Mexico vacation for free! (continue reading)
WeatherBill launches its online platform for measuring costs weather in Spain
Fri Nov 02 12:19:12 CDT 2007from Cinco Dias
The American company is helping businesses, though an online platform, measure the impact of climate change and then hedge against it. (continue reading in English or Spanish)
The Odds of Rain
Thu Nov 01 11:31:08 CDT 2007from InfoWorld
No one can control the weather, of course, but an innovative startup using Web-based technology offers a way for smaller business to “insure” themselves against the ravages of weather. (continue reading)
Web 2.0 Summit: Entrepreneurial Spirit Too Strong For Google Alumni
Mon Oct 22 12:00:33 CDT 2007from Information Week
David Friedberg, who was a founding member of Google’s corporate development team and led several of the company’s largest acquisitions, said Google hires people looking for more than just money. “There are certain kinds of people where it’s not about the money. And Google hires those kinds of people,” Friedberg said. These people look for something they can build in their own way, something that they really care about. Friedberg is chief executive of the Internet company WeatherBill, which he founded. (continue reading)
Google’s Alumni Reveal Reasons For Departure
Mon Oct 22 11:58:29 CDT 2007from Search Engine Land
At the Web 2.0 conference John Battelle interviewed several prominent former Google employees about their reasons for the leaving the company, the culture there and its challenges as the company continues to grow. (continue reading)
V.C.s See Sunny Skies Ahead for WeatherBill
Thu Oct 18 12:06:07 CDT 2007from The New York Times
WeatherBill, a start-up that turns global warming from a threat into a business opportunity, on Wednesday captured a $12.5 million first round of funding. (continue reading)
$12.5M Rains on Weather Risk Startup
Wed Oct 17 16:52:19 CDT 2007From Red Herring
The round comes less than a week after former Vice President Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize splashed global-warming headlines worldwide. Through his video, “An Inconvenient Truth,” and personal appearances, Mr. Gore has warned of the dire consequence of inaction on global warming. (continue reading)
WeatherBill raises $12.5M in first round
Wed Oct 17 12:03:25 CDT 2007from San Francisco Business Times
Kittu Kolluri of NEA and Neil Rimer of Index will take seats on WeatherBill’s board of directors as part of the investment. Barney Schauble of Nephila Capital also took a seat on the board. (continue reading)
Climate Change Insurance: WeatherBill Raises $12.5M
Wed Oct 17 12:00:33 CDT 2007from earth2tech
Climate change means we’ll be facing more unpredictable weather — and if you’re in a weather-sensitive business like farming or owning a ski resort, unexpected weather can mean a significant loss of sales. (continue reading)
Weather Derivatives Provider WeatherBill Takes $12.5 Million More
Wed Oct 17 11:31:56 CDT 2007from TechCrunch
San Francisco-based weather insurance site WeatherBill has taken $12.5 million in a round led by New Enterprise Associates and Index Ventures. (continue reading)
WeatherBill, a site for betting against bad weather, gets $12.5 million
Wed Oct 17 08:21:55 CDT 2007from VentureBeat
WeatherBill, a company that lets you make money by betting on the weather, has raised $12.5 million. (continue reading)
WeatherBill Closes $12.5 Million Series A Financing Led by New Enterprise Associates and Index Ventures; Launches Service in Europe
Wed Oct 17 08:13:33 CDT 2007Web 2.0 Summit, San Francisco, CA – WeatherBill (www.weatherbill.com) the world’s only online service that allows businesses to protect revenue and control costs from the impact of bad weather, today announced the close of a $12.5 million Series A round, that when combined with earlier funding totals $16.8 million. The round was led by investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Index Ventures, with participation from Allen & Company, Atomico Investments, and Sean Park. Existing investors include First Round Capital and several angel investors. Following the close of the investment, Kittu Kolluri, a partner at NEA, and Neil Rimer, a partner at Index Ventures, will join WeatherBill’s Board of Directors. The company also announced that Barney Schauble, a partner at Nephila Capital, WeatherBill’s risk capacity partner, will join the Board.
“Climate change isn’t just making the weather more unpredictable, it can have a significant impact on corporate profits,” said Kolluri. “There’s high demand for financial protection against unexpected weather. WeatherBill’s technology, backed by Nephila’s world leadership in catastrophe reinsurance, creates a unique and valuable financial solution for businesses of all sizes.”
WeatherBill is working with a diverse roster of clients in weather-sensitive industries that include agriculture, travel, leisure, and retail. Clients include ski resorts, farmers, restaurants, travel service providers, and outdoor sports and leisure event managers.
“It’s now estimated that nearly one-third of the US economy, that’s $3.8 trillion, is at risk because of climate change,” said Rimer. “With that much at stake, weather-sensitive businesses need to understand their risk and then be able to protect their profits quickly and affordably. The experienced team at WeatherBill is helping businesses of all sizes do just that.”
The funding will help fuel WeatherBill’s rapidly growing business in the United States and Canada, and expand the company’s service to five new European countries this week: the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, and Norway.
“This funding allows us to offer our clients more customizable weather protection as we add additional locations to our service, offer newly supported weather conditions, and enhance the ease of purchase,” said David Friedberg, CEO and co-founder of WeatherBill. “Strong investment support and advice from these market leading investors is invaluable and will result in more accessible and affordable weather protection for businesses worldwide.”
New Enterprise Associates (www.nea.com) is helping fund more than 550 companies in the IT and healthcare sectors. NEA is the entrepreneur’s venture capital firm; built on the philosophy of team achievement and measures success by
Index Ventures (www.indexventues.com) is an European venture capital firm with offices in London, Geneva and Jersey and a portfolio of leading technology and biotech companies across Europe, Israel and the US. The Index team is committed to working with the best entrepreneurial teams and helping them to build their companies into market defining global leaders.
MiLB Promotional Seminar Notebook
Tue Oct 02 18:30:17 CDT 2007from MiLB.com, Minor League Baseball Magazine
Three dozen vendors have booths at the trade show at this week’s Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar. Some of the items on display are what you’d expect — caps, T-shirts, bobblehead dolls, banners, jerseys, lunch boxes, bumper stickers, magnets and playing cards. One of the more unique vendors, however, is weatherbill.
Based in San Francisco, the company offers teams a form of insurance in case inclement weather forces a postponement or simply keeps down the size of an anticipated big crowd. (continue reading)
Investing in the Weather
Fri Sep 28 14:33:27 CDT 2007
Many businesses rely on good weather. Julie Martin reports that one company is offering a way to help businesses with interest in weather. (click here to watch… enter “Investing” in the top right search box to pull-up the video clip)
Nordic Center sells ski pass “guarantee”
Sun Sep 16 17:56:57 CDT 2007from the Arizona Daily Sun
Buyers of local winter ski passes have to ask themselves one question: Do I feel lucky?
With unpredictable seasons of past years, including one that lasted only four days at Arizona Snowbowl, it’s difficult to forecast whether a pass will be worth the price. But cross-country skiers will face a much easier decision this year.
The Flagstaff Nordic Center will begin paying a California business founded by two former Google employees, WeatherBill, to ensure customers either get an opportunity to ski or get their money back.
“If we get that terrible winter, at least we can give them refunds,” Owner Wendell Johnson said. (continue reading)
New study examines climate change in major U.S. cities
Thu Sep 13 19:12:55 CDT 2007from BYM Marine Environment News
WeatherBill published this original study to help urban consumers and businesses better understand local temperature trends for planning and risk management. Over 58 million people live in the larger cities studied, more than 187 million live and work in the metropolitan areas, representing 62% of the population. (continue reading)
Betting Against The Weather
Thu Sep 13 16:09:13 CDT 2007from 11 Alive in Atlanta, GA
Rain or shine, some businesses rely on Mother Nature for their profits, or take a gamble if the weather works against them.
There’s a new company that can protect those revenues — a type of weather insurance of sorts. (continue reading and watch the video)
Temperatures in summer, winter decline in San Diego
Thu Sep 13 10:59:47 CDT 2007from the Union Tribune
SAN DIEGO: San Diego is the only major city in the United States to experience a drop in both winter and summer temperatures over the past 30 years, according to a study released yesterday by WeatherBill, a San Francisco company.
Between 1977 and 2006, the city’s average summer temperature dropped 2.4 degrees. San Diego and Hampton, Va., were the only cities, in the study of 130 cities with a population above 100,000, that showed drops in summer temperatures. The city’s average winter temperature declined 3.3 degrees; Los Angeles was the only other city that showed a drop for winter.
The study found that 57 percent of cities showed significant warming trends in the winter, while 15 percent showed significant summer warming.
The study used daily statistics gathered by the National Weather Service, said Regina Sinsky, WeatherBill’s public relations manager. The study did not try to explain the temperature changes.
Ivory Small, science and operations officer at the National Weather Service’s Rancho Bernardo office, said it would be difficult to determine the causes of the changes without data from neighboring weather stations.– R.K.
Study: Temperature Rising in U.S. Cities
Wed Sep 12 16:11:51 CDT 2007from The Daily Green
Winter temperatures in most large U.S. cities — 57% of the 130 cities studied — show a trend of increasing temperatures over the past 30 years, according to a new study by WeatherBill, a commercial Web-based company that consults with business about weather risk. (continue reading)
Skiers to be Refunded If There’s Too Little Snow in Flagstaff
Thu Sep 06 14:41:45 CDT 2007Flagstaff Nordic Center in Arizona is teaming up with WeatherBill, Inc. to ensure skiers get their money’s worth for the 2007-2008 winter season. After a couple of years of below-average snowfall, Flagstaff Nordic Center wants to make sure season pass holders have the perfect ski season with ideal conditions or they will get their money back. (continue reading)
itravel2000 Extends ‘LET IT SNOW’ Offer Due to Overwhelming Demand!
Tue Sep 04 13:10:53 CDT 2007from Marketwire
itravel2000, Canada’s leading online travel retailer, today announced an extension of their LET IT SNOW offer due to overwhelming consumer response. (continue reading)
Weathering the Storm of Risk: Creating your own weather contracts
Sat Sep 01 19:01:33 CDT 2007from Futures Magazine
Users of WeatherBill range from the obvious: farmers protecting against drought to ski resorts, to the less obvious: hair salons to minor league baseball teams. (continue reading)
WeatherBill.com - When Bad Weather Strikes
Fri Aug 03 18:04:09 CDT 2007from Killer Startups
“While we haven’t seen anything as egregious as depicted in the eco-disaster flick ‘The Day After Tomorrow,’( yet) the weather is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Storms, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes—they’re everywhere and they’re increasing. You can’t stop the weather, but you can insure yourself against it. WeatherBill is a newly launched ecommerce site which sells weather insurance to businesses and individuals. The site employs a complex forecasting algorithm to provide predictions. Anyone can take out a policy for weather in a specified area, chosen via a Google Maps mashup. Users set the options, customizing price and coverage. To be eligible for contracts you need to be an ‘accredited investor’. WeatherBill also provides free weather correlation tools so businesses can assess the impact of weather on their finances.” (continue reading)
Come Rain or Shine
Wed Aug 01 12:34:52 CDT 2007from American Salon
You can’t control the weather, but thanks to a company called WeatherBill, you may be able to control how it affects your business. WeatherBill provides businesses large and small with insurance to protect against weather conditions that may hurt revenue. Unlike most insurance plans, WeatherBill aims to provide flexible, affordable coverage based on a business’ individual needs, with no proof-of-loss requirements or claims to process. Spencer Malay, owner of Spencer Malay Hair in Atlanta, GA, is the first salon to use WeatherBill to protect its bottom line. (continue reading)
WeatherBill On Food Chain Weekly Radio
Sat Jul 14 09:00:32 CDT 2007Guests: David Friedberg from Weatherbill, Michael Loik from the University of California, Mike McGinnis from Agriculture Online, and Ron Wegner from WTXS
Subject: Droughts here, floods there, global-warming everywhere! And so we pause to ask, “Is weather going wild?” And, if so, “How will we grow food?”
Topics include whether, or not, weather is going wild; what impact global warming would have on agriculture; and what food producers can do to protect against wild weather.
(click here to listen)
Handling the Risks of a Seasonal Business
Sun Jul 08 11:56:34 CDT 2007from The Wall Street Journal Online
From ice-cream stands and landscapers to ski shops and hotels, many small businesses are seasonal — meaning they rake in cash just a few months of the year.
But with this seasonality comes great risk: What if the weather during the peak season turns adverse, or a sharp surge in gasoline prices keeps customers at home? There’s no opportunity to make up that business later in the year.
There are ways seasonal businesses can avert some of the risks of relying on one or two seasons for profitability. Here are some ways to make it work. (continue reading)
Local rainfall is normal: City on par with amount it usually gets
Thu Jun 28 18:03:54 CDT 2007from The Daily Advertiser
“It’s no surprise that Lafayette has been so rainy these past few days,” Barry said. “Lafayette ranks as the fifth rainiest city in the U.S.” (continue reading)
Sun shines again on weather derivatives
Wed Jun 20 21:16:31 CDT 2007from the Financial Times
Weather is rapidly becoming the centre of the one of the most attractive sectors in the financial markets. Increasing volatility in the weather is helping to fuel the trading of related derivatives, or futures contracts that allow investors to bet on or hedge against fluctuations in the weather. (continue reading)
Turning a buck on weather
Thu Jun 14 11:13:12 CDT 2007from the Toronto Star
Once the realm of Fortune 500 companies, weather derivatives are being offered to smaller businesses, including itravel2000, which has a $100 million bet with weather risk management start-up WeatherBill. (continue reading)
Snow cover: WeatherBill bets against heavy Jan. 1 snowfall at airports
Wed Jun 13 13:59:46 CDT 2007from Canada East Online
WeatherBill will pay refunds to Itravel2000 customers if it snows five inches (12.7 centimetres) or more on Jan. 1 at Calgary, Halifax, Montreal or Toronto airports. (continue reading)
Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful
Wed Jun 13 12:40:54 CDT 2007from The Park Paradigm
“I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see more firms offering promotions linked to weather conditions. Travel, sporting events, gardening, outdoor events, etc. are obvious candidates for this type of marketing initiative.” (continue reading)
Weather firm’s $100M bet against snow
Wed Jun 13 09:52:58 CDT 2007from the Toronto Star
WeatherBill, itravel2000 ink deal
Wed Jun 13 09:49:52 CDT 2007from Internet Travel News
WeatherBill has entered into an agreement with itravel2000.com, Canada’s largest online travel retailer, to provide coverage for Canada’s biggest travel promotion, “Let it Snow”. (continue reading)
David Friedberg on CNBC’s On The Money
Fri Jun 08 00:42:07 CDT 2007
Watch David Friedberg talk about WeatherBill on CNBC’s On The Money - aired June 6, 2007
Rain or shine, they aid business climate: Startup offers financial hedge against the weather
Wed Jun 06 16:55:44 CDT 2007
A San Francisco startup is touting a new kind of financial hedge aimed at helping small businesses weather the weather. (continue reading)
The nation’s rainiest city is not Seattle, not even Portland
Wed May 30 23:20:36 CDT 2007Reno Gazette Journal
She said that she enjoyed the column, and added some interesting research — Weatherbill’s own. In the course of their business, they have a team of mathematicians who go nuts over weather minutiae. She passed along a newly released document which answers the time- honored question: Just what is the rainiest city in the United States? (continue reading)
How To Hedge A Hurricane
Mon May 28 21:50:00 CDT 2007Forbes
Worried about hurricane season? The market can help. Weather futures specifically tied to Atlantic hurricanes are set to begin trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as soon as the first storm gets brewing. The National Weather Center’s hurricane forecasters predict 13 to 17 named storms this year, three to five of them potentially major hurricanes, defined as Category 3 and above on the scale used to measure the storms. (continue reading)
And the rainiest city in the U.S.A. is… Mobile!
Fri May 25 12:46:04 CDT 2007in msnbc
Southeastern cities are so prevalent on the list because the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico fuel storms that frequently soak the region, particularly between June and November. (continue reading)
WeatherBill Expands to Small Towns
Fri May 25 12:38:53 CDT 2007WeatherBill press release
Experiencing high demand for its products, WeatherBill, Inc. has announced the addition of 170 new weather station locations to its already extensive network of stations in major cities. The new stations will allow business owners and managers in 370 locations across the United States to buy weather coverage from WeatherBill that can help protect revenue and control costs. (continue reading)
Lafayette Is Number Five On Wettest U.S. Cities List
Thu May 24 23:24:58 CDT 2007KFLY-TV, Lafayette
Did you hear about Lafayette making the Top 10 list of the wettest U.S. cities in the past 30 years? The online company Weatherbill (weatherbill.com) researched the last 30 years of weather records for 195 cities across the country and Lafayette ranks as the fifth-wettest with an average annual rainfall of 62 inches. (continue reading)
Seattle Not Even Close To Being ‘Rainiest City’
Wed May 23 23:13:41 CDT 2007Although Seattle and the Pacific Northwest typically have a reputation for rain, their first entry on the list doesn’t show up until #24; Olympia, Washington. Seattle was ranked #41. The study found that over the past 30-years, the southeast has gotten wetter while the Western United States has gotten drier. (continue reading)
Mobile ranked nation’s the wettest cities
Mon May 21 23:43:06 CDT 2007WHNT-TV, Huntsville
An analysis of rainfall data found that Phoenix is America’s fifth-driest city. Las Vegas ranks as the driest of 195 cities in the 48 contiguous states examined by WeatherBill, a company that helps protect businesses from bad weather. (continue reading)
New Orleans Ranked 3rd-Wettest City In U.S.
Mon May 21 03:17:58 CDT 2007WDSU-TV, New Orleans
This won’t come as a shocker to very many people: New Orleans is one of the wettest cities in the U.S. (continue reading)
Like getting wet? Head to Olympia
Sun May 20 21:52:42 CDT 2007The News Tribune
Ever feel like you’re living under a shroud of constant rain? People in Olympia probably do. Olympia is the nation’s 24th-rainiest city, says a study by San Francisco-based WeatherBill Inc. It has the most rainy days. (continue reading)
Study Reveals Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities
Sat May 19 23:45:03 CDT 2007SignsOfTheTimes.org
The Southeast dominated the most rainy list, while the Pacific Northwest never enters the list until Olympia, Washington pops up at number 24. (continue reading)
Olympia rated 24th in nation for rainfall
Sat May 19 21:57:06 CDT 2007The Olympian
Seattle and Portland are tucked in the “rain shadows” of the Olympic Mountains and the Oregon Coast Range, respectively. “The mountains squeeze out the moisture on one side,” so the air is drier when it hits Portland and Seattle, he said. “When really moist systems come from the south-southwest, all that stuff hits Olympia first.” (continue reading)
Study Reveals Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities
Fri May 18 21:47:53 CDT 2007LiveScience
Do you think Seattle is the rainiest city in the United States? Well, think again. Mobile, Alabama, actually topped a new list of soggiest cities in the 48 contiguous states, with more than 5 feet of rainfall annually, according to a study conducted by San Francisco-based WeatherBill, Inc. (continue reading)
Seattle? Rainy? Not really
Fri May 18 21:40:06 CDT 2007 Puget Sound Business Journal
The San Francisco-based company studied more than 30 years of rainfall data in 195 cities available from the National Weather Service and determined that Mobile receives an average rainfall of 67 inches and there are 59 rainy days (any day with more than a quarter-inch of rain) every year; tops in the nation. (continue reading)
Study examines rain patterns in the U.S.
Thu May 17 21:34:57 CDT 2007Ag Professional Weekly
WeatherBill published this first-of-its-kind study to help consumers and businesses better understand local rain patterns for planning and risk management. (continue reading)
The rainiest city in the U.S.A. is… Mobile!
Wed May 16 23:22:41 CDT 2007WPMI-TV, Mobile
Pensacola is ranked second on the list, with an annual rainfall average of 64 inches. New Orleans came in third, while Seattle placed 41st, a surprising number for a city with such a rainy reputation. (continue reading)
Weather futures heat up
Wed May 16 12:00:58 CDT 2007MarketWatch
Farmers have for generations used futures contracts on such commodities as corn and grain to provide insurance against poor weather and crops, but now financial exchanges are developing products that provide companies and investors with a way to hedge Mother Nature herself. (continue reading)
WeatherBill Expands Financial Capability; Announces Risk Capital Agreement with Nephila Capital
Thu Mar 29 17:41:02 CDT 2007WeatherBill press release
…Under the terms of the agreement, Nimbus will provide risk capacity and collateral to WeatherBill to support Weather Contracts sold to customers…. (continue reading)
Send in the Clouds
Mon Mar 12 14:27:06 CDT 2007in Forbes
…Weatherbill, sells insurance against unwanted temperature changes and rainfall at any of 200 cities in the U.S. It’s primarily aimed at businesses such as golf courses, amusement parks or house-painting firms that lose out in foul conditions… (continue reading)
Firm vows to replace Weather Insurance with Online Risk Tool
Wed Feb 21 13:25:12 CST 2007in Entrepreneur
…The San Francisco company, WeatherBill, bills itself as an online weather risk management firm. It claims to have developed tools that correlate a firm’s financial data with the weather in order to quantify weather’s impact on the bottom line…. (continue reading)
Study Examines Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Golf Industry
Wed Feb 21 13:25:12 CST 2007WeatherBill Press Release
…WeatherBill published a study today at the National Golf Course Owners Association annual conference analyzing historical weather data to determine changes and trends in annual Golf Playable Days… (continue reading)
Website offers weather risk for the masses
Wed Feb 21 13:23:02 CST 2007in Environmental Finance
…A new online weather risk management service has been launched in the US, aiming to offer small and medium sized enterprises access to weather hedges… (continue reading)
Create a New Business From an Old Idea
Tue Feb 20 13:27:06 CST 2007in Entrepreneur
…anyone can log on and buy a contract to protect themselves from unseasonable weather… (continue reading)
New Company Poised to Reduce Economic Impact of Changing Weather on U.S. Businesses
Tue Feb 13 13:21:51 CST 2007in PR Newswire
…WeatherBill.com changes that with online weather contracts that can be completely customized and priced in minutes and automatically settled without a claim. … (continue reading)
Shielding Business from Wild Weather
Fri Jan 26 13:18:18 CST 2007from BusinessWeek
WeatherBill, a risk management company, wants to sell weather derivatives to protect small businesses. Enterprises already have insurance against catastrophic events like earthquakes and hurricanes that destroy buildings and upend lives. WeatherBill hopes they’ll pay for protection against less calamitous conditions that can still bite into revenue. (continue reading)
WeatherBill Explained in Under 3 Minutes
Thu Jan 18 16:55:18 CST 2007in Park Paradigm
…Anyhow for most small businesses - and many large ones - their financial exposure to weather risk is probably an order of magnitude higher that their exposure to interest rate or equity market risk, the opportunity to manage this pro-actively will be - like for other financial risk management tools before, only moreso - a significant advantage insofar as it reduces business risk, financial volatility and as a result the cost and efficiency of capital. (Which means higher productivity, more prosperity, greater wealth, more jobs, etc. etc.)… (continue reading)
WeatherBill, weather insurance company, raises round
Thu Jan 18 16:54:37 CST 2007in Venturebeat
…We recently pointed to Weatherbill, a weather insurance company. It has since launched, with funding from New Enterprise Associates and Index Ventures….(in venturebeat)
WeatherBill…A Market for Wacky Weather Protection
Thu Jan 18 16:50:37 CST 2007in Life Putting
…It appears to essentially be a marketplace where people can first evaluate what bad weather costs them in terms of sales, then they can purchase short or long term insurance plans to cover themselves from these losses going forward…. (continue reading)
Hedging the Weather
Wed Jan 17 16:53:27 CST 2007in Todd “Turbo” Watson Blog
…Looking out at my Austin icicles today, it struck me that this two-and-a-half-day ice storm must have had a relatively significant negative economic impact on the Austin economy. So I was curious if there’s anything a business can do to hedge against such weather… (continue reading)
WeatherBill Launches Weather Risk Management Service
Wed Jan 17 16:52:38 CST 2007in SiliconTap
…San Francisco-based WeatherBill launched its weather risk management service today, saying that it will allow companies to purchase coverage that pays for adverse weather conditions… (continue reading)
David Friedberg, WeatherBill CEO, on CNBC
Wed Jan 17 13:19:38 CST 2007Watch David Friedberg, WeatherBill CEO, on
Closing Bell with Melissa Francis
David Friedberg, WeatherBill CEO, on Bloomberg TV
Wed Jan 17 13:17:52 CST 2007 Watch David Friedberg, WeatherBill CEO, on
Bloomberg TV
Former Google Team Members Launch Online Service for Managing Weather Risk
Wed Jan 17 13:14:53 CST 2007in PR Newswire
…Former Google team members have turned their attention to empowering businesses to manage how weather affects their bottom line. WeatherBill provides an online platform which allows companies to purchase coverage that automatically pays for adverse weather conditions without any claims hassle… (continue reading)
Audio Interview with David Friedberg, WeatherBill
Tue Jan 16 16:55:57 CST 2007in CenterNetworks
…I gave Weatherbill co-founder David Friedberg a call. David explains Weatherbill as removing the weather risk from your business. David also notes that 75% of businesses are affected by the Weather costing upwards of three trillion dollars a year…. (listen to the interview)
I’ll Bet You That it Doesn’t Rain!
Tue Jan 16 16:53:27 CST 2007in Rain City Guide
…If you live in Seattle you will understand what I am talking about here. We had a client flying in to relocate to Seattle and with the weather we have been having, they have already had to cancel a home buying trip already… (continue reading)
Making The Weather Your Bitch
Tue Jan 16 16:52:38 CST 2007in DealBreaker
…Whether it’s farmers in California standing to lose upwards of $1 billion, or Wall Streeters celebrating like school girls over not having to shroud their much-loved blue shirt/black pants ensembles in winter coats… (continue reading)
WeatherBill Launches, Announces All Star Investors
Mon Jan 15 16:56:37 CST 2007in Techcrunch
…WeatherBill is perfect for small and medium sized businesses who’s businesses are affected by the weather. If a golf course wants to be paid $1,000 per rainy day, WeatherBill will create a policy on the fly for them… (continue reading)
WeatherBill is Live!
Mon Jan 15 16:54:00 CST 2007in Park Paradigm
…If you don’t think this is revolutionary, I know of senior derivatives trading managers that refuse to give their own sales people access to their modelling tools, let alone giving customers access…. (continue reading)
Betting on the Sun
Mon Jan 15 13:13:07 CST 2007in Red Herring
…(WeatherBill) allows businesses to buy contracts that would pay them when they’re hurt by the weather - too hot or too cold; too rainy or too dry… (continue reading)
Thinking About The Weather
Sun Jan 07 16:50:04 CST 2007in Park Paradigm
…Weather is in my opinion likely to be one of the fastest growing financial derivatives markets over the next decade, and perhaps 2006 will be seen in hindsight as the inflection point for market growth after a decade long incubation… (continue reading)
Use WeatherBill To Bet On The Weather
Tue Jan 02 16:49:24 CST 2007in Techcrunch
…Weather insurance is difficult to get and even harder to customize. Enron began to dabble in weather-related securities, whose value would fluctuate based on actual weather down the road, but that all ended in 2001 when the company went bankrupt. Today, large energy companies trade weather policies back and forth to hedge against high or low temperatures, but everyone else is left out. That’s where WeatherBill will come in…. (continue reading)