Ourcast Launches Real-Time Mobile Weather App That Predicts Rain, Snow With Unprecedented Accuracy

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ourcast, Inc. (www.ourcast.com) today announced the launch of its flagship Ourcast mobile weather app, which predicts rain and snow over the next two hours with unprecedented accuracy.

Available free for the iPhone, Ourcast forecasts weather down to the minute at any location in the continental U.S. Ourcast is perfect for anyone, anywhere outdoors including:         

• Runners, looking to get in a jog despite overcast skies       
• Moms and Dads, deciding how to dress their kids for the walk to school
• Commuters, wondering if delaying their trip by 10 minutes could avoid a downpour
• Coaches, judging whether to call a short rain delay or cancel the game

The list of possible uses for Ourcast is virtually unlimited.

"Ourcast fills a critical void in the area of weather forecasting by enabling people to plan their outdoor activities with certainty. Ourcast users know whether rain or snow is coming over the next two hours, anywhere they want to check. A truly groundbreaking app, Ourcast is built on a new statistical approach to weather forecasting that is further refined by real-time reports from Ourcast users.  This combination creates both a powerful real-time weather forecasting system and a unique social interaction with weather and with the Ourcast community," said Mark Hohmann, co-founder and CEO of Ourcast.

Crowdsourcing, Social Sharing

Ourcast provides detailed, hyperlocal forecasts based on a new type of statistical modeling that uses real-time radar data and weather station readings provided by 20,000 volunteers across the U.S. These forecasts are refined with real-time weather reports from Ourcast users, who can report conditions at their location with a tap of the screen. These reports display immediately on the Ourcast map view for all users to see and integrate directly into Ourcast's statistical forecasts. The strength of Ourcast increases with the size of its community, making it a truly crowdsourced application.

Weather is often a focal point of social conversation and Ourcast extends this conversation into the information streams of social networks. Users can share their real-time reports and forecasts with the Ourcast community and also with family and friends on Facebook, Twitter and via email. This further extends the ability of real-time weather information to help people plan their activities accordingly.

Financial Backing, Development

Ourcast was founded in March 2010 by Mark Hohmann, CEO; Luis Enrique Corrales, Vice President of Product; and Neil Hohmann, Chief Researcher. Together, the three have more than 50 years of experience in technology, statistical analysis and software development. Prior to co-founding Ourcast, Mark Hohmann founded BountyJobs, a global recruitment marketplace recently named to the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies. In addition to the founders, the company has a dedicated team of developers and support staff.

Ourcast has raised $1.3 million in Series A funding from Starfish Ventures, one of the largest venture capital firms in Australia. Starfish Ventures manages over $400 million and is focused on information technology, life sciences and clean technology.

The Ourcast app has been made available in the iTunes App Store for early users over the past several months. With today's announcement, the full version of Ourcast is now available to all iPhone users free of charge.

The company is actively developing a version of Ourcast for Android phones and is studying other applications for its forecasting technology.

About Ourcast, Inc.

Ourcast is the app that lets us solve weather together. Founded in March 2010, Ourcast is a tremendously accurate, short-term weather forecasting application for mobile devices. Available free of charge for the iPhone, Ourcast provides forecasts of rain and snow minute-by-minute for the next two hours, allowing users to plan their outdoor activities with confidence.

Contact:
Sharon Bially, 508-655-2676
[email protected]

SOURCE Ourcast, Inc.