Biggest observation satellite operator acquires Sinergise
Ljubljana/San Francisco, 15 August - The Ljubljana-based geographic information system (GIS) company Sinergise was acquired by Planet Lab, the San Francisco-based operator of the largest Earth observation fleet of imaging satellites, at the beginning of August, the US company said on Monday. The value of the deal, which was closed in March, has not been revealed.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Earth.
Photo: Xinhua/STA
File photo
The acquisition of Sinergise strengthens Planet Labs' ability to efficiently deliver Earth observation data to its customers, the company said in the press release.
Sinergise has developed Sentinel Hub, a solution that significantly reduces the time it takes between the satellite taking an image and the image being available for use. The hub's integral part is the Earth Observation (EO) Browser, an open-access tool for people to browse and compare full resolution satellite images from the data collections over long periods of time.
"Sinergise's talented team will become an integral part of Planet's operations in Europe, expanding the company's European base to nearly one-third of Planet's global workforce," Planet wrote. The US company will now have two additional offices in Europe, one each in Slovenia and Austria, in addition to its current offices in Berlin and Haarlem.
The companies, which have been cooperating as partners since 2016, announced the takeover at the end of March.
Last December, Sinergise signed a EUR 150 million project with the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) to set up a storage, processing and data distribution system for Earth observation.
Founded in 2008, Sinergise is based in Ljubljana and employs around 80 people.