Astraea is building a geospatial analytics platform to enable commercial and non-profit customers to solve global problems using earth observation data and machine learning. Their platform provides access to data from multiple providers, geospatial analytics capabilities, and machine learning expertise to derive actionable insights without remote sensing experience. While technical challenges remain, their goal is to expand use of earth observation data to new sectors and lower barriers to access, especially for non-profits who struggle with high costs of very high resolution commercial imagery.

1. Building a cross-industry, geospatial analysis
platform for commercial and non-profit customers
Dr. Kimberly Scott
Co-founder and VP of Data Science, Astraea, Inc.
TIE Industry Forum, IGARSS 2019
July 30, 2019

2. Overview
• About Astraea
• Our geospatial
analytics platform,
products and
services
• Challenges for
commercial and non-
profit users of Earth
Observation (EO)
data
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3. • Enable analysts and data
scientists to solve global-
scale problems using EO
data and machine learning
• Extend the use of EO data
to non-traditional sectors
• Expand the user base of
EO data to analysts without
expertise in remote sensing
or artificial intelligence
Founded 2016
Charlottesville, Virginia,
USA
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4. Why serve commercial and non-profit
clients?
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 There’s a market for it
 We want to do good
 Our investors want us to do
good
Certified Benefit (“B”) Corporation
(Application in progress)

5. Getting from pixels to insight
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EO Data Access Actionable InsightsGeospatial Analytics
o Query and access to
data from multiple
providers
o Upfront (and
affordable!) pricing
for commercial data
o Big data storage and
management
o Computer
programming
o Distributed
computing
o EO, remote sensing,
and GIS expertise
o Data science and
machine learning
expertise
o Automated model
deployment
o Explanatory analysis
reports
o Interactive
information systems

6. 6
EO Data Access
Actionable Insights
Geospatial Analytics
Platform and
Products
Workflo
w
Noteboo
k
(Free)
(Open source)

7. 7
EO Data Access
Actionable Insights
Geospatial Analytics
Beta Release
July 31, 2019 (EDT)
Platform and
Products
Workflo
w
Noteboo
k
(Free)
(Open source)

8. Consulting
Services
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Locating rooftop solar
opportunities
Controlled burn site
characterization
The Nature Conservancy
Asset-level characterization
for heavy industry
Tracking growth of
renewable energy

9. Challenges for commercial and
non-profit clients
• Technical challenges (previous slides)
• Procurement of very high resolution (VHR)
imagery from private providers
– Costs can be prohibitive
– Negotiation can be…tedious
– Many just give up
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10. What does the future look like?
• EO analytics platforms are lowering the barrier to
entry for many commercial and non-profit
customers
• Prices will come down:
– Satellite/rocket sizes, sensor technology, data stations
– Cloud storage, cloud compute
– Lots of competition!
• Can large NGOs work together to negotiate fixed,
reduced prices for VHR imagery for all non-profit
organizations?
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