Ohio State innovation culture on display with StormImpact acquisition

What started as a research project in a campus lab is now helping utility companies across the country keep the power on when it matters most.

StormImpact, a weather analytics company founded by researchers at The Ohio State University, was recently acquired by Urbint, a national leader in AI-driven solutions for infrastructure resilience. The acquisition reflects a growing movement at Ohio State—where faculty research is increasingly finding its way beyond the university and into tools, technologies and companies that improve lives on a broad scale.

For Steven Quiring, professor in the Department of Geography and the Atmospheric Sciences Program, the moment is the result of years of dedication, collaboration and a strong belief that research should be put to work in the world.

“StormImpact uses data-driven machine learning models to predict the impacts of weather on the electrical power system,” Quiring said. “It combines forecasting and analytics to understand what storms are coming, how severe they could be, and what kind of damage we might expect. That gives utilities the time they need to mobilize and respond.”

The platform is the result of a long-term partnership between Quiring, Brent McRoberts—then a senior researcher at Ohio State—and Scott Hull, who was an undergraduate student when the idea began to take shape in 2016. Together, the trio developed the tool inside Ohio State’s research infrastructure, supported by competitive grants and guidance from the university’s technology commercialization office. StormImpact officially launched in 2022, licensed through the Ohio State Innovation Foundation.

The impact has been immediate. StormImpact equips utility companies with tools that help forecast the potential severity of incoming storms—days before they hit. That information can help crews prepare, respond faster, and minimize outages for customers.

“If a utility knows a major storm is approaching and has a sense of how many outages to expect, they can prepare their crews, stage equipment, and get ahead of it,” Quiring said. “That directly translates into shorter outages for people. It keeps the power on. It keeps people safe.”

For Quiring, the work is driven by a clear purpose.

"There’s a lot of discussion in science about translational research—taking ideas from the lab and turning them into something that operates in the real world,” he said. “This is what that looks like. Research to operations. It’s incredibly meaningful to know that what we’re building isn’t just advancing academic knowledge—it’s improving people’s lives.”

That impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. Mat Coleman, professor and chair of the Department of Geography, said StormImpactrepresents a meaningful first for the department—and a glimpse into the future of faculty innovation at Ohio State.

“I think the way Steven has been able to take his academic research and spin it out into a product that reaches industry is really quite novel,” Coleman said. “It’s a kind of a first move for our department, and I think it’s novel in terms of Arts and Sciences as a college.”

Coleman noted that the College of Arts and Sciences is placing growing emphasis on entrepreneurship, commercialization and research that connects with the private sector.

“Steven is clearly leading the charge on that,” he said.

Ryan King, divisional dean of social and behavioral sciences, said StormImpact exemplifies the university’s commitment to societal impact.

“This is a powerful example of how academic research can move beyond campus and directly improve systems and lives,” King said. “It reflects our broader mission in the College of Arts and Sciences to foster innovation that meets the needs of communities and industries alike.”

With its acquisition by Urbint, StormImpact’s reach will grow. Its core technology—born in an Ohio State lab—is now part of a national platform designed to safeguard infrastructure and help utility providers make smarter decisions in the face of extreme weather.

For Quiring, it’s both a professional achievement and a powerful example of what’s possible at Ohio State. “It’s really exciting to be part of a university like Ohio State, where we have this tremendous innovation engine,” he said. “People here are working on problems that have real-world applications, not just things that matter in the lab or in theory.”