The founders behind Boulder-based Divirod are on a mission to compile highly-accurate, real-time water data that could help monitor local water supplies, warn against flooding and prevent boats from getting stuck in shallow water.
After raising $1 million in funding last year, co-founder Adam Wilson told Built In the company recently raised nearly $2 million from TDK Ventures. Wilson said the company used the funding to double its headcount from six to 12 employees.
Existing water monitoring sources are outdated, sparse and disparate, according to Divirod co-founder and CEO Javier Marti.
Marti previously worked at the European Space Agency, where he used satellite technology to measure sea levels. After realizing a gap in the market, Marti joined with Wilson to form Divirod, the first company to measure water levels to the nearest millimeter by sensing the reflections of satellite signals bouncing off the water.
Divirod can install the sensors within 20 minutes using poles that it situates in the ground or nearby buildings. The sensors and can pick up the reflections of satellite signals bouncing off water within a 10-acre area.
The company’s cloud-based, machine-learning software decodes those signals to generate hydrological models and 3D maps of the surfaces of water, snow or soil moisture content. The data is then sent to clients under a data-as-a-service business model.
Divirod’s data is currently being used to measure municipal water reservoirs and other bodies of water. It is also used to ensure the water levels at ports, marinas and harbors are high enough to prevent boats from getting stuck.
The sensors are also installed on the roofs of tall buildings to make sure snow and water don’t cause drainage issues, damage to equipment or a collapsed roof.
“We’re challenging the status quo of how water is being monitored as a risk. It’s risky when we run out of water or have too much water,” Wilson said. “I think this is one of the most important datasets that could exist.”
