NextStorm

"...provide highly-accurate forecasts for often very challenging weather phenomena."

About NextStorm - Company Overview

NextStorm, Inc. was started in December 2014, centered around patented short-term weather prediction technology that relies heavily on the use of geostationary satellite datasets within machine learning algorithms to provide from 0-2 hour forecasts (a.k.a. “nowcasts”) of pending weather threats and imminent changes. Since 2014, NextStorm, Inc. has exclusive rights to 7 patented algorithms, with several others on the way. NextStorm, Inc. was founded by Dr. John R. Mecikalski (Professor, Atmospheric Science Department), the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert H. Locklear.

Goals

The goal of NextStorm, Inc. is to provide highly-accurate forecasts for often very challenging weather phenomena, including thunderstorms and accompanying hazards (large hail, strong winds, tornadoes), first lightning, heavy rainfall, and satellite derived products. NextStorm’s technology also offers an ability to predict short-term, every 5 minutes, changes in cloud cover, solar radiation and other meteorological variables. In addition to geostationary satellite data, at 500 meters to 2 kilometer resolution, we also utilize weather radar and weather forecast model datasets within our prediction algorithms.

Let NextStorm help you become more weather aware.

Value Proposition

The products NextStorm provides are designed to increase situational awareness of pending thunderstorm and other weather hazards, and more importantly provide key lead time of up to 2 hours for hazardous weather such as heavy rainfall, hail, strong wind and lightning that cannot be provided by other real-time conventional meteorological weather data (specifically by radar and weather forecasts). Such lead times come from NextStorm proprietary algorithms that utilize the latest (GOES-R/GOES-S) satellites to "see" clouds developing prior to rainfall, lightning or other storm hazards appearing on radar. Weather forecasts provided by current weather models cannot yet predict clouds and rainfall at the exact time and place they will occur in nature. Users of NextStorm products therefore can provide early warning to pending weather threats, helping to save life and property. Specific market sectors we focus product development toward include risk management, construction industry, private aviation and transportation, events, the energy sector, and outdoor enthusiasts (e.g., boaters/hikers/campers).

John Mecikalski

President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), UAH Atmospheric Science Department Professor John R. Mecikalski, has been active in meteorological research since 1988, and has been specifically involved in developing short-term forecast methods that heavily leverage satellite observations, especially from geostationary platforms across Earth. He has to his name nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications, across a broad area of research specialization, from short-term (0-6 hour) weather prediction (“nowcasting”) of thunderstorms and lightning, satellite data/observation and (polarimetric) radar assimilation for numerical weather prediction, to tropical meteorology, satellite remote sensing and aviation-safety related analysis of thunderstorms and turbulence, and land surface remote sensing of drought (focused on crop model initialization). NextStorm, Inc. is operated out of Decatur, Alabama.

Bob Locklear

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Bob Locklear currently serves as the CEO of NextStorm, Inc. Bob has held multiple senior level management positions in the technology sector with both start ups and large corporations. Prior to NextStorm, he served as Vice President of Corporate Development at Jive Communications which was acquired by LogMeIn in April 2018 for $342 million. Bob was previously Director of Business Development and Product Management at Adtran and led the Adtran acquisition of Bluesocket, a WiFi equipment provider.

Bob has served as a member of the board of SVSi, a networked video solutions provider where he introduced the company to eventual acquirer AMX/Harman and worked with management to close the transaction. Prior to Adtran, Mr. Locklear was a founding general partner of Agave Capital, an angel based investment firm, and served as managing director of Agave Capital Funds I and II. Mr. Locklear previously served on the board of Discoverycom prior to Discoverycom's acquisition by Nokia Networks in 2000 for $205 million and served on the board of Teracruz prior to their acquisition by Crossroads Systems (Nasdaq: CRDS) in 2004. He was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the acquisition of both companies. Mr. Locklear has served on the board of Teravicta Technologies and was interim CEO of Teravicta from May 2003 to June 2004. Mr. Locklear collaborated on the incubation of Surgient Networks with Austin Ventures and served as Surgient's Vice President of Business Development and Chief Strategy Officer. Mr. Locklear previously held director positions in technology and engineering with Cisco Systems, Inc.’s DSL Business Unit. Prior to Cisco, he was Chief Engineer and later CTO of NetSpeed, Inc., which was acquired by Cisco Systems in 1998 for $266 million. Mr. Locklear holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and has been awarded 16 patents in telecommunications and networking technology.