Impact Observatory, a Washington, D.C. developer of AI-powered global mapping and monitoring systems, has raised a $5.9 million seed round, backed by Esri International LLC, an affiliate of the mapping firm Esri.
Co-founders Steve Brumby, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist, and Samantha Hyde came up with the idea for Impact Observatory when working together at the National Geographic Society, where they developed open-source technology and geospatial science data.
‘Most Accurate Global Map’
In less than three years since inception, the startup has created a “fully automated, high-resolution map of the world,” available in near real-time. An independent peer-reviewed scientific study called the map the most accurate, with average rates of 85%, Impact Observatory said. The map has been released in partnership with Esri and Microsoft Azure Planetary Computer.
Using Microsoft Azure, Microsoft AI for Earth and other programs, Impact Observatory creates granular maps with a resolution of 10-square meters, instead of the industry standard 100- or 250-square meters. Impact Observatory has also created what it calls a “first-of-its-kind AI training dataset,” composed of billions of hand-labeled pixels of Earth observation satellite imagery, and a range of other maps that it releases via Esri, Microsoft, Amazon and the United Nations.
“Companies that understand their environmental and climate impacts, and can anticipate risks are starting to see significant rewards from investors, consumers and regulators concerned about long-term sustainability and climate change resiliency,” said Brumby. “Impact Observatory’s AI-powered monitoring platform provides the timely, actionable data needed for decision-makers to fulfil their sustainability initiatives.”
Promoting World Understanding
Esri founder Jack Dangermond termed Impact Observatory’s planet maps a “fundamental tool for understanding the world, especially as the effects of climate change accelerate globally. “We are proud to partner with Impact Observatory on its ground-breaking mapping and monitoring products that enable our users to see and monitor recent changes in land use, so they can take a geographic approach to decisions about food security, sustainable land use, resource management, and more,” he said.
Impact Observatory also offers a data-as-a-service (DaaS) product that seamlessly integrates space data and deep learning AI, providing powerful insights into sustainability and environmental risks. Its annual world maps are variously used by customers. Pula Properties, for example, uses it to “monitor the progress of our conservation efforts,” while the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) benefits from “timely access to satellite-based automated maps of the extent of major crops, which gives us the ability to advise policy and prioritize investments using consistent, near-real-time insights across the globe.”
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The Australia-educated Brumby brings deep expertise and leadership to Impact Observatory. He spent 16 years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, holding several research positions in data and space, and working on deep-learning and genetic algorithms. He is a co-inventor of the lab’s GENIE image analysis algorithm (R&D100 Award 2002). Later, he co-founded Descartes Labs, a venture-backed startup focused on understanding agriculture, natural resources, and human geography using deep-learning technology and satellite imagery.
Hyde, Impact Observatory’s co-founder, was a senior program manager for Geographic Visualization at National Geographic Society. Previously she was the lead director at Madison River Group, a climate-centric consulting firm. She also served in the Executive Secretariat at the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) where she provided strategic guidance to the White House Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR).
Esri, founded in 1969, is a global leader in GIS software. Its flagship product is ArcGIS, a leading mapping and spatial analytics software. Based in Redlands, Calif., the privately held company operates in 73 countries with a staff of over 5,000.
