Jupiter Press

As companies around the world grow concerned about the risks of climate change, they have started looking for clarity on how warming might disrupt their operations in the future. But governments in the United States and Europe have been slow to translate academic research on global warming into practical, timely advice for businesses or local city planners. Now some private companies, like Jupiter, are trying to fill the gap.

It is what could be defined as the “resilience issue”, the understanding and predicting of the risks related to climate change and their impacts on the horizon of the public and private sector. Jupiter is a startup, which offers services, predictions, and analyses to city officials, insurance companies, businesses, and any other actor in the public arena who deals with urban planning in coastal areas.

Doug Parsons of America Adapts talks with Rich Sorkin, CEO and Co-Founder of Jupiter Intel, about the company’s history and Rich’s short- and long-term goals in this emerging field. Doug and Rich discuss developing businesses in the adaptation sector and how businesses can use smart climate planning to avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial meltdown.

Jupiter Intelligence provides climate change and weather event risk-prediction services. The company’s solution is built on a cloud-based platform designed specifically for the rigors of climate analysis. The Jupiter ClimateScore Intelligence Platform links data, probabilistic and scenario-based models and advanced validation in an integrated environment.

A San Mateo startup, Jupiter, is hoping to reduce future devastation caused by floods and severe weather by helping developers and cities predict where the problem areas could be. “The world has been very slow to respond to the science and the events of the last few years that make it crystal clear that in certain parts of the world, risks are getting worse,” said CEO Rick Sorkin.

Predicting how climate change will alter the weather is becoming a flourishing business. The consumers are property owners and businesses that fear a rise in extreme weather — hurricanes, floods or heat waves, for example. Last year set a record for U.S. losses at over $300 billion. Rich Sorkin is seeking them out. Sorkin is CEO of a new company called Jupiter. “Our approach is, look, we’re in the risk business,” he says. What Jupiter sells is risk assessment. How you can dodge the climate bullet? Sorkin’s pitch is blunt: “Hugely important, globally significant, gigantic economic problem, not currently being addressed.”

Where the Trump administration sees waste, the small but rapidly expanding Silicon Valley climate services firm Jupiter Intel sees opportunity.

New Silicon Valley startup Jupiter — boosted by $10 million in venture capital funds — will soon arrive on the South Florida scene to test its climate change calculating software.

As floods, heat waves, and other damaging natural phenomena increase, it’s important for developers and city planners to understand the effects. Jupiter offers incredibly detailed maps of a post-climate change world.

This week, a high-powered, well-funded start-up company has barged onto the scene to help businesses and governments confront their increasing vulnerability to climate change and weather disasters.