Prelude Ventures

Brightband is a software company that develops an advanced, end-to-end Earth System AI to improve weather and climate-related decisions.

Understory, Inc. is a weather infrastructure and analytics company that specializes in real-time data collection and analysis of weather events, including rain, hail, and wind, directly at the earth's surface. Founded in 2012 and based in Madison, Wisconsin, Understory builds and operates networks of patented RTi weather stations that deliver precise measurements at an unprecedented frequency. These stations provide critical data for insurance companies, property owners, and academic institutions, enabling enhanced property-level analytics and accurate weather risk assessment. The company's offerings include precision reports on hail, wind, and precipitation, as well as weather verification reports detailing various weather conditions. Understory's advanced technology, which features wireless data transmission and cloud-based artificial intelligence, aims to transform the understanding of weather globally, while also providing parametric insurance services to help businesses mitigate financial risks associated with severe weather.

Arable is a developer of an integrated system for agriculture that helps digitize and optimize decisions from seed breeding to food production. The platform measures everything that matters to the crop, from the weather to the soil, to the plant itself by the use of a unique set of spectral and thermal sensors. This enables Arable to observe a crop’s development through the season and determine the onset of stress due to a lack of water or nutrients. Its integrated hardware, agronomic modeling, and software suite is enabling farmers, agronomists, researchers, processors, and food companies to understand the crop system at the plant, field, and region level, which helps to reduce risk, improve productivity, and optimize for sustainability. Arable received recognition, including the Irrigation Association’s Best New Product of 2018, Plug & Play’s Top 10 Ag Tech Companies to Watch in 2019, and THRIVE’s Top 50 Companies for 2020 awards.

Arable is a developer of an integrated system for agriculture that helps digitize and optimize decisions from seed breeding to food production. The platform measures everything that matters to the crop, from the weather to the soil, to the plant itself by the use of a unique set of spectral and thermal sensors. This enables Arable to observe a crop’s development through the season and determine the onset of stress due to a lack of water or nutrients. Its integrated hardware, agronomic modeling, and software suite is enabling farmers, agronomists, researchers, processors, and food companies to understand the crop system at the plant, field, and region level, which helps to reduce risk, improve productivity, and optimize for sustainability. Arable received recognition, including the Irrigation Association’s Best New Product of 2018, Plug & Play’s Top 10 Ag Tech Companies to Watch in 2019, and THRIVE’s Top 50 Companies for 2020 awards.