Sometimes, to move fast you don’t need to break things — you just need to acquire them. This is exactly what Nuview, a startup with a mission to map the world from space using lidar technology, has done. Today, they announced their acquisition of analytics platform Astraea.
The details of the deal were not disclosed. In a recent interview, Nuview CEO Clint Graumann also declined to specify how many of Astraea’s employees would be joining the company.
Nuview may seem young to be making such a move, as it was only founded in January 2022 and has raised $15 million in funding thus far. However, Graumann explains that in his experience, companies that attempt to build every component of Earth observation technology on their own often encounter challenges.
“I’ve always seen Earth observation companies struggle when they try to build every capability from the ground up,” Graumann said. “We build where we have to, we partner where we can, and I believe that’s been the key to success for many companies in this field.”
Through the acquisition, Graumann believes that Nuview can accelerate its plans to provide intelligence drawn from a wide range of satellite, aerial, and drone data, “years faster than we ever imagined.”
Nuview’s goal is to launch a constellation of 20 commercial satellites equipped with lidar systems, which will map the entire surface area of the Earth on an annual basis. In the past, lidar technology has been limited by its size and power consumption, making it difficult to use as a remote sensing tool on a large scale. However, Nuview claims to have developed a proprietary sensor that is smaller and more efficient, capable of scanning much larger areas at once.
The company plans to launch a proof of concept satellite, called “Mr. Spoc”, although Graumann did not disclose any firm launch dates for this demonstration mission. Once the technology is proven in space, Nuview plans to launch the full constellation in groups of five every 12-18 months, allowing for further improvements and advancements. Graumann also stated that the company is open to adapting future satellites to meet various resolution and spectral requirements as needed.
“We’re also excited to use Mr. Spoc to determine the optimal altitude for the constellation, one that best meets the needs of our customers. By doing this, we can maintain a sense of agility and constantly improve and evolve to meet the broader needs of our customers and solve more specific problems along the way.
