mistEO, a climate and weather intelligence startup based in Thiruvananthapuram, has raised Rs 18 crore (about $1.92 million) in a seed round. MGF-Kavachh led the round, and Seafund and other investors joined.
The company announced the funding at Huddle Global 2026, the eighth edition of the Kerala startup event. It will use the money to scale its Climate Decision Intelligence (CDI) platform for banks, insurers and agricultural value chains in India and Asia.
mistEO seed funding details
| Detail | mistEO seed round |
|---|---|
| Amount | Rs 18 crore (about $1.92 million) |
| Stage | Seed |
| Lead investor | MGF-Kavachh |
| Other investors | Seafund and others |
| Announced at | Huddle Global 2026, Kerala |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Samuel John, Ambarish Narayanan |
| Headquarters | Thiruvananthapuram, with an office in Melbourne |
MGF-Kavachh is a SEBI-registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund. It invests in defence and strategic technology companies.
What mistEO’s climate forecasting platform does
mistEO turns local weather forecasts into risk information that businesses can act on. Its platform combines physics-based numerical weather modelling with AI and machine learning.
The models pull in satellite, radar, IoT and ground-sensor data. The output tells a bank, insurer or farm business how a weather event could affect a specific location or asset.
“A missed forecast can mean a loss of life, a failed crop, a stressed loan or an unplanned claim,” said Samuel John, founder and CEO of mistEO.
Where mistEO’s AI weather models are in use
| Country | Project | Partner or user |
|---|---|---|
| India | DiCRA, an open climate resilience data platform for agriculture | NABARD, UNDP |
| India | Weather intelligence for defence and industry | Indian Air Force, Navy, agriculture, energy and finance users |
| Uzbekistan | Weather-based parametric insurance for livestock and crop farmers | Deployment in progress |
| Australia | Livestock early-warning system | Run by mistEO |
In the Uzbekistan project, forecast-based weather triggers start insurance payouts to farmers. Social Alpha, a science and technology incubator, incubated mistEO.
mistEO was the first recipient of the IN-SPACe seed fund. It also received backing from the India–Singapore Technology Development Fund, supported by the Technology Development Board and Enterprise Singapore, to build physical climate risk models.
How mistEO will use the Rs 18 crore
The company plans to improve its forecasting and risk models, hire more staff and build partnerships in Asian markets.
mistEO is also working on new uses beyond farming and finance. These include port and maritime operations, solar and wind power forecasting, weather-based routing for logistics fleets, and flood and heavy-rainfall alerts for disaster response.
Seafund pointed to mistEO’s mix of AI and physical weather models as the kind of IP-led deep tech it backs.
mistEO and Indian AI startup funding
The mistEO round is small by global standards. Indian AI deals have been modest this fall: no India-based AI startup crossed $20 million between October 12 and 18, according to our weekly AI funding report.
Climate and agriculture are among the areas where Indian AI companies have found customers. Cropin, which uses AI for weather advisory and crop monitoring, appears on our list of leading AI startups in India.
India’s Earth-observation sector has drawn larger sums. A Pixxel-led satellite constellation has more than Rs 1,200 crore in backing, Dealroom reported, while mistEO is focused on selling forecast-based risk data rather than building satellites.
FAQ
How much did mistEO raise?
mistEO raised Rs 18 crore, about $1.92 million, in a seed round led by MGF-Kavachh with participation from Seafund. The funding was announced at Huddle Global 2026 in Kerala.
What does mistEO do?
mistEO combines physics-based weather models with AI to turn local forecasts into risk data for banks, insurers and agricultural businesses through its Climate Decision Intelligence platform.
Who founded mistEO?
Samuel John and Ambarish Narayanan founded mistEO in 2019. Samuel John is the founder and CEO. The company is based in Thiruvananthapuram and has an office in Melbourne.
Who invested in mistEO?
MGF-Kavachh, a SEBI-registered Category II AIF focused on defence and strategic technology, led the seed round. Seafund and other investors also participated.
Where does mistEO operate?
mistEO works in India with NABARD and UNDP, runs a livestock early-warning system in Australia and is deploying weather-based parametric insurance in Uzbekistan.
