Windborne Systems Inc.

Windborne Systems Inc., headquartered in Palo Alto, California, develops and operates AI-enabled Global Sounding Balloon platforms for atmospheric data collection and operates as a small-business prime contractor (100% of recent awards) across federal defense and civilian weather agencies. The company competes exclusively under total small-business set-asides on SBIR and Other Transaction Agreement vehicles, with no subcontract footprint.

Windborne's capability portfolio centers on high-altitude weather balloon systems capable of maintaining altitude from sea level to 20 kilometers while collecting continuous atmospheric data through edge-computing and deep-learning integration. The platform delivers real-time meteorological sensing—temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and wind speed and direction—over weeks-long flights, addressing gaps in traditional radiosonde and dropsonde observation networks. Recent contract work includes a $6.97 million Air Force definitive contract awarded September 2025 for data-as-a-service capabilities as a follow-on to an earlier OTA, a $2.42 million Air Force follow-on production contract for Global Sounding Balloon platform manufacturing (awarded September 2024, non-set-aside), a $1.49 million Office of Naval Research SBIR Phase II contract for AI-enabled weather sensing balloon R&D awarded March 2026, and a $5.69 million Air Force OTA for innovation in global weather sensing awarded September 2022. On the grant side, Windborne is a recipient of two NOAA cooperative agreements under the Weather and Air Quality Research program (CFDA 11.459): a $500 thousand award from September 2024 for dropsonde deployment and meshed radio network capabilities, and an $886 thousand award from August 2021 for observation campaign evaluation over the northeast Pacific and continental United States.

Customer concentration tracks heavily toward defense and defense-adjacent civilian weather agencies. The Department of the Air Force (including both Air Force and Air Force Research Laboratory) anchors the portfolio with three awards carrying $15.1 million in combined potential value (71% of all dollars). The Department of the Navy Office of Naval Research accounts for three awards worth $3.2 million, and Air Force Research Laboratory for four awards totaling $2.8 million. NOAA rounds out active customers with two cooperative agreements. The top four funding agencies represent 100% of recent awards. One award—the $7 million Air Force data-as-service contract—faces completion within the next twenty-four months and represents recompete exposure.

Activity has grown from one award each in 2022 and 2023 to four awards in 2024, with one award in 2025 and one in 2026. Windborne operates exclusively as a prime, with no recorded subcontract work. The combined potential value across all twelve awards reaches $21.1 million, with $18.5 million obligated, representing 88% funding drawdown. Work is performed in Palo Alto, California and Redwood City, California, with one contract performance sited at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts.