At the recently concluded NVIDIA GTC event, the microchip processing giant introduced Earth-2, a digital twin initiative to map the global climate from a digital perspective. Given the current climate challenges worldwide, this project is incredibly relevant.
Specialising in providing “temperature as a service,” FortyGuard contributed significantly to NVIDIA’s ground-breaking Earth-2 initiative, a digital twin project aimed at mapping the global climate digitally, a pressing necessity in the face of contemporary climate challenges.
FortyGuard’s role in this initiative involved creating a three-dimensional representation of urban heat within cities, effectively forming a digital twin of urban environments.
“This alignment with NVIDIA’s vision underscores our solutions’ innovative and forward-thinking nature. Our collaboration with NVIDIA highlights the importance of partnerships in scaling our solutions and reaching a broader audience,” said Jay Sadiq, Founder and CEO of FortyGuard.
Growing up in Abu Dhabi, Jay Sadiq has been no stranger to dust and heat waves. The spark for FortyGuard, a cleantech company, ignited in 2019 when Sadiq encountered white pigment-coated painting rolls designed to cool surfaces. “As an asthma patient since childhood, I’ve always been acutely aware of the adverse effects of urban heat on health and the environment,” Sadiq explained.
Developing the solution
The goal was ambitious: develop a solution to cool surfaces without altering their colour, as traditional white pigments often increased cooling energy demands by reflecting sunlight onto pedestrians and buildings. The challenge was compounded by local traffic regulations and the impracticality of applying such pigments on roads in the UAE.
“This realisation led to the birth of FortyGuard as a material science company focused on solving this complex problem,” Sadiq explained. The path was not easy. The initial hurdle was to find a method to cool asphalt and concrete without changing their colour. Extensive research and experimentation followed, but existing solutions were non-existent, prompting Sadiq to start from scratch.
Sadiq’s entrepreneurial journey began with a classified newspaper job in Abu Dhabi, which included launching a digital marketing company and a private equity firm before venturing into FortyGuard. “My third startup was a significant failure, teaching me invaluable lessons about perseverance and the importance of thorough market research,” Sadiq recalled.
FortyGuard’s development revealed a critical insight: the core issue was not the
materials but the lack of comprehensive data on urban heat. “We discovered a significant data gap in understanding and managing urban heat, guiding us to pivot towards a data-driven approach,” Sadiq explained.
Overcoming the challenges
Developing the solution presented several challenges. Initially, a major hurdle was finding a way to cool asphalt and concrete without changing their colour. Sadiq travelled, consulted various companies, and conducted extensive research but found no existing solutions.
With FortyGuard, as the team progressed, they realised the core issue wasn’t the materials but the lack of data on urban heat.
“We discovered that there was no comprehensive measurement of urban heat at scale, no time series data, no granular data, and no dynamic visualisation of temperatures. Unlike atmospheric temperature, which changes with elevation, urban heat must be measured at ground level, up to five meters above the surface. This focus highlighted a significant data gap in understanding and managing urban heat, guiding us to pivot towards a data-driven approach,” explained Sadiq.
Building the technology
The development of FortyGuard’s technology was an iterative process. The minimum viable product (MVP) initially offered advisory and consultancy services to urban planners, real estate developers, and landscape architects. They provided data and paid for our analytics and insights, helping us refine our solution.
This hands-on approach allowed the Hub71-backed company to understand market needs and adjust its strategy accordingly. The startup has been backed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF).
The MBRIF is backed by the federal government, serving innovators through our two outstanding programs; the Innovation Accelerator and Guarantee Scheme, under one umbrella providing end-to-end mentoring and funding support.
“We evolved into building a comprehensive temperature operating system, essentially software designed to provide actionable insights on urban heat. Our product offers two main features: a dashboard and an API platform,” added Sadiq.
The technology behind FortyGuard’s solutions involves advanced data processing techniques and proprietary algorithms to model urban temperatures accurately. The system uses a multimodal approach, combining data from various sources such as satellite imagery, ground sensors, and weather stations to create detailed and reliable temperature models. This approach ensures that the models are precise and relevant, providing users with accurate temperature data tailored to their needs.
FortyGuard’s technology also includes a dynamic visualisation feature, offering real-time heat mapping and predictive analytics. This feature allows users to monitor urban heat patterns and forecast potential heat-related issues, enabling proactive measures to mitigate urban heat impacts.
“Our solution incorporates advanced data processing techniques and proprietary algorithms to model urban temperatures accurately, ensuring our models are precise and relevant,” said Sadiq. This scalable, usage-based model democratises access to valuable temperature data, catering to the needs of both small enterprises and large corporations.
By offering affordable and scalable solutions, FortyGuard aims to make temperature data accessible to many users, enhancing their AI and machine learning models through diverse datasets. “Our commitment to affordability and scalability ensures high-quality, data-driven solutions for our clients while continually improving our technology through real-world applications,” Sadiq concluded.
