ExactEarth

exactEarth, a Canadian company founded in June 2009, operates as a specialized data services firm delivering global, real-time, location-based tracking information for maritime vessels. The company was established as a strategic initiative within COM DEV International, which first identified the potential for space-based detection of Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages in 2005. Peter Mabson, who held executive positions at COM DEV and had over two decades of experience in the space and technology sectors, was appointed President of exactEarth in 2009, bringing expertise in engineering, business management, and strategic planning. His background in designing and building satellite hardware was instrumental in the formation of exactEarth, which was spun off to focus on developing the satellite AIS business.

The company's core business revolves around providing satellite AIS (S-AIS) data services to a client base that includes both commercial entities and government bodies across Europe, India, Canada, the United States, and Australia. Revenue is generated primarily through subscription-based services for its data products. The company's technology utilizes a constellation of more than 58 satellites to capture and process AIS data from over 500,000 vessels worldwide. This infrastructure enables the delivery of data with average global revisit and latency times of less than one minute. exactEarth's service offerings include real-time ship tracking, historical data archives, vessel density maps, and web-based monitoring platforms.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its acquisition by Spire Global, Inc., which was finalized in late 2021 for approximately $161.2 million in cash and stock. This transaction led to exactEarth becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spire, delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange where it had traded under the ticker XCT since February 2016. The acquisition combined the strengths of two leading firms in space-based maritime data, aiming to accelerate the digitalization of the nearly $2 trillion global maritime industry by providing enhanced fleet visibility, fuel consumption savings, and improved routing efficiencies. Following the acquisition, Peter Mabson continued to lead the exactEarth division, reporting to Spire's CEO.

Keywords: maritime data services, satellite AIS, vessel tracking, ship monitoring, maritime situational awareness, COM DEV International, Peter Mabson, Spire Global, global shipping, maritime analytics, space-based data, real-time vessel tracking, maritime security, fleet monitoring, Iridium NEXT, maritime VHF radio, ship emission modelling, marine protected areas, eNavigation, vessel telemetry