Temblor, Inc. Market Research Report

Background

Company Overview

Temblor, Inc. is a catastrophe modeling company specializing in seismic hazard and risk assessment. Founded in 2014 by former U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists Ross Stein and Volkan Sevilgen, the company is headquartered in Redwood City, California. Temblor's mission is to raise awareness of seismic risk by providing accurate, accessible, and understandable information about earthquakes to both the public and industry professionals.

Mission and Vision

Temblor aims to reduce seismic risk by promoting awareness, mitigation, and financial protection. The company serves the public through the Temblor Earthquake News and the Temblor app, and the insurance and real estate industries through innovative, globally consistent, highest-resolution seismic hazard and risk assessments.

Primary Area of Focus

Temblor focuses on providing seismic hazard and risk assessments, dynamic hazard and loss forecasts after large earthquakes, globally consistent insurance loss models, stochastic event sets, and high-resolution global site amplification models. Additionally, the company calculates a building-level Temblor Earthquake Score, which incorporates all factors impacting loss into a single number for risk pricing and selection.

Industry Significance

Temblor plays a crucial role in the catastrophe modeling industry by offering independent, unbiased, and transparent assessments of seismic risk. Its products are utilized by insurance, reinsurance, and insurance-linked security communities, as well as mortgage lenders, to inform underwriting and portfolio management decisions.

Key Strategic Focus

Core Objectives

• Seismic Risk Assessment: Provide accurate and accessible seismic hazard and risk assessments to the public and industry professionals.

• Public Education: Raise awareness about seismic risks and promote mitigation strategies through platforms like Temblor Earthquake News and the Temblor app.

• Industry Support: Offer innovative, globally consistent seismic hazard and risk assessments to the insurance and real estate industries.

Specific Areas of Specialization

• Dynamic Hazard and Loss Forecasts: Develop forecasts for hazard and loss following large earthquakes.

• Globally Consistent Insurance Loss Models: Create models that provide consistent assessments of insurance loss across different regions.

• Stochastic Event Sets: Generate sets of simulated seismic events to assess potential risks.

• High-Resolution Global Site Amplification Models: Develop models that assess how local site conditions can amplify seismic shaking.

Key Technologies Utilized

• Seismic Hazard Modeling: Utilize advanced modeling techniques to assess seismic hazards.

• Data Integration: Integrate various data sources, including geological surveys and seismic activity records, to provide comprehensive risk assessments.

• Mobile and Web Applications: Develop user-friendly platforms, such as the Temblor app and website, to disseminate information to the public.

Primary Markets or Conditions Targeted

• Insurance and Reinsurance: Provide risk assessments to inform underwriting and portfolio management decisions.

• Mortgage Lending: Offer insights into seismic risks to assist in property evaluations.

• General Public: Educate individuals about seismic hazards and mitigation strategies.

Financials and Funding

Funding History

Temblor has raised a total of $1,025,000 in funding over three rounds, all from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding rounds occurred on December 12, 2016; April 23, 2019; and June 17, 2020.

Total Funds Raised

$1,025,000

Specifics of Recent Funding Rounds

• June 17, 2020: Grant from the National Science Foundation.

• April 23, 2019: Grant from the National Science Foundation.

• December 12, 2016: Grant from the National Science Foundation.

Notable Investors

National Science Foundation

Intended Utilization of Capital

The funding has been utilized to support the development of Temblor's seismic hazard and risk assessment models, as well as to enhance public education initiatives through platforms like Temblor Earthquake News and the Temblor app.

Pipeline Development

As a catastrophe modeling company, Temblor's pipeline development focuses on the continuous improvement and expansion of its seismic hazard and risk assessment models. This includes the development of dynamic hazard and loss forecasts, globally consistent insurance loss models, stochastic event sets, and high-resolution global site amplification models. The company also works on enhancing its public education platforms, such as the Temblor app and Temblor Earthquake News, to provide accurate and accessible information about seismic risks.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Proprietary Technologies

• Temblor Earthquake Score: A building-level score that incorporates all factors impacting loss into a single number for risk pricing and selection.

Significant Scientific Methods

• Seismic Hazard Modeling: Advanced modeling techniques to assess seismic hazards.

• Data Integration: Combining various data sources, including geological surveys and seismic activity records, to provide comprehensive risk assessments.

• Mobile and Web Applications: Developing user-friendly platforms to disseminate information to the public.

Leadership Team

Ross S. Stein, Ph.D. – Co-founder and CEO

• Professional Background: Former USGS Senior Scientist and Lecturer of Geophysics at Stanford University.

• Key Contributions: Co-founded Temblor and leads the company's mission to raise awareness of seismic risk.

Volkan Sevilgen, M.Sc. – Co-founder and CTO

• Professional Background: Former USGS scientist with expertise in geophysical engineering.

• Key Contributions: Leads Temblor's scientific programming and technology development.

Serkan Sevilgen – Director of Engineering

• Professional Background: Experienced in programming for high-traffic websites, e-commerce, and social media.

• Key Contributions: Oversees Temblor's API, mobile app, web app, and browser extension development.

Shinji Toda, Ph.D. – Geophysicist and Developer

• Professional Background: Professor of Earth Sciences at Tohoku University and expert in seismic hazard assessment.

• Key Contributions: Develops and tests tools with Temblor to capture changes in seismic hazard following large earthquakes.

Andrew Castaldi – Strategic Marketing

• Professional Background: Former Senior V.P. for Catastrophe Perils at Swiss Re.

• Key Contributions: Provides insights on economic, regulatory, delivery, and political aspects of natural hazard insurance, reinsurance, and consumer resiliency.

Ali Değer Ozbakir, Ph.D. – Geophysicist/Developer

• Professional Background: Research focused on thermal structure and rheology of the lithosphere, continental deformation, and crustal stresses.

• Key Contributions: Develops and tests tools with Temblor to assess seismic hazards.

Hector Gonzalez-Huizar, Ph.D. – Seismologist/Developer

• Professional Background: Research on the physics of earthquakes, including how they are triggered and interact.

• Key Contributions: Develops tools with Temblor to assess seismic hazards.

Megan Sever – Editor in Chief and News Director, Temblor Earth News

• Professional Background: Former editor of Geotimes and EARTH Magazines.

• Key Contributions: Leads Temblor Earth News, orchestrating news coverage and editing stories.

Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ph.D. – Science Editor and Externship Coordinator, Temblor Earth News

• Professional Background: Science communicator and editor with a focus on translating complex scientific information for the public.

• Key Contributions: Helps translate complex scientific information for the public and mentors scientists in science communication.