About us
Beyond Weather:
Finding the oasis in the prediction desert
Extreme weather is now common weather. This is hurting economies, businesses, and real humans.
To become climate resilient, we require reliable information on imminent weather events, in time to take effective anticipatory action. This means we need weather forecasts weeks or even months in advance.
Due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere, reliably forecasting the weather beyond 14 days is so difficult that climate scientists dubbed this period ‘the prediction desert’.
That doesn't stop us; we are weather nerds.
A team of climate scientists and AI engineers spun off from the Climate Extremes research group at the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. We know the weather is more predictable than commonly believed. We're doing it all the time.
The answer is in the ocean, in the soil, in snow cover, and in the air. By combining our academic expertise with the power of AI, we distill the hidden signal from climate data and translate it into actionable intelligence.
Our forecasts allow governments, NGOs, businesses, and people worldwide to strengthen their climate resilience, saving money, resources and lives.
We are Beyond Weather, the oasis in the prediction desert.
Our Values
What we stand for
At Beyond Weather, we stand for Sound Science, Moral Ambition, and Real-World Value.
Sound science
Academia is in our DNA. As a spin-off from the Climate Extremes research group at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, we specialize in AI weather forecasting. Our work is grounded in rigorous, peer-reviewed science.
Moral ambition
We aim to contribute to the greater good, on purpose, and have a real, measurable positive impact on society through our work. By leveraging our expertise, we strive to address significant societal challenges and promote sustainable development.
Real-world value
We deliver practical, client-oriented solutions that create tangible value. Our weather information and services have a significant impact, helping clients make informed decisions and improving outcomes in various sectors.
Our Team
Beyond Weather is an Utrecht-based Vrije Universiteit spin-off company
We are strongly grounded both in science (VU) and the entrepeneurial ecosystem of Utrecht.
Jannes van Ingen
Jannes holds one BSc and two MSc degrees in the field of Climate Econometrics and Economics. He has a driven and ambitious mindset. He loves to work with code and data and likes to put these skills to use to make our world a better place. As a fanatic sportsman, he spends his free time riding his racing bike and playing football.
Dr. Sem Vijverberg
Sem obtained his PhD degree on “Dynamics and predictability of weather on subseasonal-to-seasonal timescales”. He developed core expertise in AI techniques for seasonal weather forecasting and vast coding expertise. Sem has an extensive international academic and entrepreneurial network in climate and AI. His free time is occupied with sports, hiking, theater, and camping.
Prof. Dim Coumou
Dim is Professor of Climate Extremes & Societal Risk at VU Amsterdam and an internationally recognized expert on extreme weather. He pioneered the use of AI to gain new scientific insights and to improve the predictability of extremes. He worked for top-ranking climate institutes, including the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, KNMI, and Sorbonne University. Dim likes sports, reading, music, traveling, and cooking.
Steven van den Tol
Steven is an experienced founder with over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience. He is renowned for his ability to bridge academic knowledge with real-world applications. His innate people-oriented approach fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration within tight-knit teams. Steven is a family man who enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities, but is happiest on his gravel bike.
Alessia Hu
Alessia graduated cum laude in MSc Artificial Intelligence at the University of Amsterdam. She obtained a BSc at the prestigious Bocconi University in Economics (Italy). At Beyond Weather, she develops new Deep Learning AI models and cloud infrastructure. Outside of her professional pursuits, Alessia enjoys spending time in nature, particularly hiking and camping in the mountains.
Isa Rethans
Isa has a strong technical foundation with a BSc (Cum Laude) and MSc (GPA 8.5) in Computer Science from TU Delft. She combines this with years of experience as a full-stack developer. She excels when working on solutions that bridge technology and real-world challenges. At Beyond Weather, she develops client-facing software and supporting infrastructure. She likes sports, traveling and cooking.
Tsvetomira Krikoryan
Tsvetomira completed both her BSc in Artificial Intelligence and her MSc in Data Science (8.0) at Radboud University. Her background includes working with Physics-Inspired Neural Networks and LLMs, which has shaped her approach to optimizing neural networks for complex contexts. At Beyond Weather, she develops new AI Weather Models. Away from the keyboard, she spends her time climbing, reading, or painting.
CAREERS
Join our small but mighty team
We’re a young startup with big ambitions making waves.
Check out our open roles and learn more about building the future of long term weather predictions.
Published scientific research by us
Sem Vijverberg, Raed Hamed, Dim Coumou
July 14, 2023
American Meteorological Society
How reliable seasonal forecasts of misharvests will allow stakeholders to prepare and take appropriate early action.
Vijverberg, S. & Coumou D.
March 15, 2022
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
The role of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and ocean-atmosphere interactions in driving US temperature variability.
Sem Vijverberg, Maurice Schmeits, Karin van de Wiel, Dim Coumou
December 2, 2020
American Meteorological Society
S2S statistical forecast of Eastern U.S. Hot Temperature Events