Rainmaker raises $100M Series B to expand cloud seeding and atmospheric research

Rainmaker Technology Corporation has raised $100 million in Series B funding to expand its cloud seeding operations, grow its atmospheric research organisation and develop technologies aimed at producing new freshwater at lower cost.

The round includes NOA VC, Upfront Ventures, DCVC, Lowercarbon Capital and Dream Ventures, with the company planning to direct the capital toward research, technology development and broader deployment across the American West and beyond.

Founded and led by Augustus Doricko, Rainmaker is developing a technology stack that combines weather-resistant unmanned aircraft, radar, weather modelling and validation systems to enhance precipitation and measure the results of individual seeding operations.

Scaling a New Approach to Water Production

Rainmaker's core technology is based on cloud seeding, a process that introduces particles into suitable clouds to encourage the formation of ice crystals that can ultimately fall as snow or rain.

The company's approach combines this established technique with autonomous drones, atmospheric sensing, radar and quantitative precipitation estimation. Its technology platform is designed to identify seeding opportunities, deliver the seeding agent and then measure the resulting precipitation.

The company says its objective is to make precipitation enhancement more measurable and scalable while addressing water shortages affecting agriculture, ecosystems, communities and industry.

From Cloud Seeding to Measured Precipitation

A significant part of Rainmaker's recent development has been its focus on validating how much additional precipitation its operations generate.

In April 2026, the company said it had become the first private company to physically validate the results of cloud seeding operations, recording 82 distinct seeding signatures representing more than 145 million verified gallons of precipitation.

The company subsequently reported another research milestone in Alaska. During a three-hour campaign near the Kenai Peninsula, Rainmaker reported generating approximately 19 million gallons of net-new precipitation from its operations. Its published validation report estimated 45 to 65 acre-feet of net-new precipitation, with a mean estimate of 57.6 acre-feet.

Expanding Atmospheric Research

The new capital will support a significant expansion of Rainmaker's research organisation.

The company says its current research team includes atmospheric scientists, radar and satellite specialists, material scientists and meteorologists. The Series B will allow Rainmaker to expand that team while supporting research at national laboratories and funding weather modification research at U.S. universities.

The research agenda extends beyond simply determining whether cloud seeding works. Rainmaker is studying questions around which clouds should be seeded, when interventions should occur, how much seeding material should be deployed and where precipitation should fall to provide the greatest benefit to a watershed.

Building the Technology Stack

Rainmaker's technology combines three primary elements: targeting, seeding and validation.

Its forecasting and nowcasting platform processes real-time weather data to identify potential seeding windows. Purpose-built UAVs then target supercooled liquid water within clouds, while radar and satellite systems monitor and validate the resulting precipitation.

The company says its UAVs can operate at altitudes of up to 15,000 feet and in severe icing conditions, while its validation infrastructure integrates radar, satellite and quantitative precipitation estimation capabilities.

Addressing Water Scarcity in the American West

Rainmaker's expansion comes as water availability remains a significant challenge across the American West.

The company currently operates in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, California and Colorado, and says it intends to expand operations throughout the region and eventually internationally.

Rainmaker says the winter of 2025-26 produced the lowest snowpack on record and that reservoirs along the Colorado River have reached historically low levels. Against that backdrop, the company is positioning cloud seeding as one component of a broader effort to create additional freshwater supply.

Building a Larger Research and Commercial Organisation

The funding also gives Rainmaker room to expand the organisation around its technology.

The company's leadership includes Augustus Doricko, Founder and CEO, Parker Cardwell, Chief Operating Officer, Zachary Zlotnick, Global Head of Business, Garrett Schabb, Head of Brand and Communications, Harry Thomas, Chief of Staff, and Jack Simon, Deputy Chief of Staff.

The combination of scientific research, engineering, operations, business development and public-facing communications reflects the breadth of the company's ambition as it moves from individual research deployments toward a larger commercial and research organisation.

The Next Phase for Rainmaker

Rainmaker says the Series B will help accelerate its goal of building what it describes as a leading atmospheric science research organisation focused on weather modification.

The company expects its cost per acre-foot of water to fall as production scales and says it aims for its water to cost less than many other sources of new supply, including desalination, during the November 2026 to April 2027 season.

The broader opportunity extends beyond freshwater. Rainmaker says it intends to apply its technology and research to other weather-related challenges, including hail and other factors that constrain productive land.

For now, the company's immediate focus remains clear: use increasingly measurable cloud seeding technology, atmospheric research and autonomous systems to address water scarcity at greater scale.

About Rainmaker Technology Corporation

Rainmaker Technology Corporation is a California-based cloud seeding company focused on precipitation enhancement and water scarcity. Based in El Segundo, the company combines unmanned aircraft, radar, weather modelling and validation technologies to enhance precipitation and measure the impact of its operations. Rainmaker says its mission is to make freshwater more available for agriculture, ecosystems, communities and industry.