Rainmaker Technology Corp.
A next-generation cloud seeding company developing technology to address global water scarcity and make Earth habitable.
$50.3M
Total Funding Raised
2023
Year Founded
17
Total Investors
The Company & Its Mission
This section provides an overview of Rainmaker's core business, its market applications, and its strategic vision. It explores the company's mission to generate abundant freshwater through precipitation enhancement, targeting key sectors like agriculture and ecosystem restoration to combat escalating water depletion.
Enhancing Precipitation for a Thirsty World
Rainmaker Technology Corporation is pioneering a modern precipitation enhancement system to provide essential water for agriculture, watersheds, and ecosystems. Facing global freshwater depletion, the company asserts its technology offers a unique, immediate, and scalable solution.
Their services are deployed across the American West to bolster farm resilience, fortify utility operations, and alleviate drought severity, with a long-term vision to expand globally to regions like the Sahel and the Punjab.
Key Applications
- ✓ Agriculture: Bolstering crop production and enhancing farm resilience against drought.
- ✓ Water Supply: Ensuring stable water supplies for communities and replenishing watersheds.
- ✓ Energy: Supporting hydroelectric power generation through increased reservoir levels.
- ✓ Ecosystems: Facilitating the restoration of natural habitats, such as the Great Salt Lake.
Core Technology Stack
Rainmaker's innovation lies in its integrated system for weather modification. This section breaks down the four key technological pillars that enable their precise and effective cloud seeding operations. Each component plays a critical role, from identifying opportunities to executing the seeding process under challenging conditions.
Numerical Weather Modeling
Advanced models identify clouds with supercooled liquid water, pinpointing optimal seeding opportunities.
Custom Radar Validation
Cost-effective, custom-built radar systems validate model predictions and track seeding signatures in real-time.
Weather-Resistant Drones
FAA-approved electric drones operate in harsh conditions to precisely deliver seeding particles into clouds.
Sustainable Cloud Seeds
Silver iodide particles are introduced into clouds to initiate crystallization, leading to rain or snow.
The Driving Force: Leadership
A company's vision is often embodied by its leadership. This section focuses on Augustus Doricko, the founder and CEO of Rainmaker. His background, prestigious Thiel Fellowship, and hands-on approach are central to the company's identity and strategy, particularly in navigating the complex landscape of "hard tech" innovation.
Augustus Doricko
Founder & CEO
A UC Berkeley dropout and 2024 Thiel Fellow, Augustus Doricko is the founder and driving force behind Rainmaker. Described by investors as having "bold tenacity" and a "singular vision to manifest water abundance," he gained hands-on experience developing technology for Texas water wells before founding Rainmaker.
Financial Foundation: Funding & Investors
Strong financial backing is crucial for any "hard tech" venture. Here, we explore Rainmaker's funding journey. The interactive charts below visualize the capital raised across different funding rounds and highlight the key institutional and angel investors who are backing the company's ambitious vision. Note that while 17 investors are reported, detailed individual contributions are available for the key investors shown below, with some amounts estimated based on round totals and investor participation.
Funding Rounds Overview
Key Investor Contributions
Note: Individual contributions for all 17 investors are not fully disclosed in the source material. Amounts shown are either explicitly stated or estimated based on round totals and investor participation.
Key Investors
Lowercarbon Capital
Lead Investor (Series A)
Peter Thiel
Thiel Foundation / Fellowship
Starship Ventures
Seed, Series A
Long Journey Ventures
Seed, Series A
Garry Tan
Angel Investor (Seed)
Naval Ravikant
Angel Investor (Seed)
Navigating Public Perception: The Texas Floods
Operating in a sensitive field like weather modification inevitably attracts public scrutiny. This section examines the controversy surrounding the Texas floods, where Rainmaker faced allegations of causing the disaster. The timeline below presents the key events and facts, including the company's proactive measures and the consensus from atmospheric science experts.
July 2 (Afternoon)
Rainmaker conducts its last cloud seeding operation over south-central Texas.
July 2 (Evening)
Citing "unusually high moisture," Rainmaker proactively suspends all operations indefinitely, before any flood warnings are issued.
Following Days
Devastating flash floods occur. Misinformation spreads, linking Rainmaker's operations to the disaster.
Expert Consensus
Atmospheric scientists state cloud seeding can only "enhance" existing rain and cannot "create storms of this magnitude." Rainmaker's CEO highlights their seeding produced ~10M gallons of water, while the storm dropped ~4 trillion gallons.