SkyFi Lets You Order Up Fresh Satellite Imagery In Real Time With a Click (techcrunch.com) 8
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Commercial Earth-observation companies collect an unprecedented volume of images and data every single day, but purchasing even a single satellite image can be cumbersome and time-intensive. SkyFi, a two-year-old startup, is looking to change that with an app and API that makes ordering a satellite image as easy as a click of a few buttons on a smartphone or computer. SkyFi doesn't build or operate satellites; instead, it partners with over a dozen companies to deliver various kinds of satellite images -- including optical, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and hyperspectral -- directly to the customer via a web and mobile app. A SkyFi user can task a satellite to capture a specific image or choose from a library of previously captured images. Some of SkyFi's partners include public companies like Satellogic, as well as newer startups like Umbra and Pixxel.
The startup is taking a very 21st-century approach to the Earth observation industry. SkyFi co-founders Bill Perkins and Luke Fischer emphasize that their company is focused on user experience and creating a seamless purchasing process for the consumer, contrasted sharply with what Fischer called "business models based on the '80s and '90s." "We're very customer-focused," Bill Perkins said on the TerraWatch Space podcast. "The industry is science-focused and product-focused."
The startup is targeting three types of customers: individual consumers; large enterprise customers, from verticals spanning agriculture, mining, finance, insurance and more; and U.S. government and defense customers. SkyFi's solution is appealing even these latter customers, who may have plenty of experience working with satellite companies already and could afford the high costs in the traditional marketplace. "Even though we have companies that are multibillion dollar corporations using our platform that could afford to have a multimillion dollar contract year with [any] public satellite company, they're being more cost conscious and that's where this offering of SkyFi comes in," Fischer said. "There is no and will never be a 'contact sales' button on SkyFi," Fischer said. "Because it just was ruining the industry." "I think of SkyFi as the Netflix of the geospatial world, where I think of Umbra, Satellogic and Maxar as the movie studios of the world," Fischer said. "I just want them to produce great content and put it on the platform."
The startup is taking a very 21st-century approach to the Earth observation industry. SkyFi co-founders Bill Perkins and Luke Fischer emphasize that their company is focused on user experience and creating a seamless purchasing process for the consumer, contrasted sharply with what Fischer called "business models based on the '80s and '90s." "We're very customer-focused," Bill Perkins said on the TerraWatch Space podcast. "The industry is science-focused and product-focused."
The startup is targeting three types of customers: individual consumers; large enterprise customers, from verticals spanning agriculture, mining, finance, insurance and more; and U.S. government and defense customers. SkyFi's solution is appealing even these latter customers, who may have plenty of experience working with satellite companies already and could afford the high costs in the traditional marketplace. "Even though we have companies that are multibillion dollar corporations using our platform that could afford to have a multimillion dollar contract year with [any] public satellite company, they're being more cost conscious and that's where this offering of SkyFi comes in," Fischer said. "There is no and will never be a 'contact sales' button on SkyFi," Fischer said. "Because it just was ruining the industry." "I think of SkyFi as the Netflix of the geospatial world, where I think of Umbra, Satellogic and Maxar as the movie studios of the world," Fischer said. "I just want them to produce great content and put it on the platform."
Pricing... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Pricing... (Score:5, Informative)
> Also, why does it take 24 hours if the image is already in their database.
Very likely, they're not giving you an intact image from their database. They're taking one or more images from their database and stitching / cropping it to your desired area. Insert a human to review it, and 24 hours is quite reasonable.
Re:Pricing... (Score:5, Funny)
Considering what an OnlyFans subscription costs these days, that's downright cheap for access to nude beaches and bikini model pool parties.
Handy for keeping tabs on your significant other too. Now for a few bucks you can check that they really did drive to where they claimed they were going.
Paparazzi will love this, but it might get banned after the first few times politicians are caught out by it.
Re:Pricing... (Score:5, Informative)
Many years ago (~70s), you could order a set of prints from the US Dept of the Interior from EROS satellite.
I begged for it as a kid for the area I lived in, and got 4 9"x9" BW photos using 4 different color filters for $7. Scale is 1" = 15.8 sq miles.
So with inflation, the price seems rather good, at least to me it does.
XM might complain... (Score:2)
Wasn't Delphi SkyFi the name of the first XM Radio reciever?
Better pricing at SkyWatch (Score:1)