Privateer

Privateer is a geospatial intelligence company operating at the nexus of space technology and artificial intelligence. The firm was co-founded in 2021 by Alex Fielding, who serves as the CEO, alongside Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Dr. Moriba Jah, a leading academic in astrodynamics and space debris. The company's genesis stemmed from a shared concern among the founders about the growing risks of space debris and the desire to create a more sustainable and transparent space environment. Fielding has a long history in the tech industry, with engineering roles at Apple and Cisco, and previous entrepreneurial ventures with Wozniak, including the GPS tracking company Wheels of Zeus. Dr. Jah's academic work, particularly the development of AstriaGraph, a proof-of-concept database for tracking space objects, formed the foundational basis for Privateer's core technology.

The company's primary business is to provide actionable intelligence derived from fusing multi-source data from sea, land, air, and space. Initially focused on space situational awareness (SSA) and creating a comprehensive map of objects in orbit, Privateer has expanded its scope. This evolution was significantly accelerated by the acquisition of Orbital Insight, a geospatial analytics firm, in May 2024. This acquisition, financed in part by a $56.5 million Series A funding round, integrated Orbital Insight's TerraScope platform, which processes diverse data like satellite imagery and cell phone locations, with Privateer's SSA capabilities. The business model involves providing this fused data and analysis to a range of clients, including government bodies, commercial satellite operators, and industries requiring geospatial intelligence, such as supply chain and energy. Revenue is generated through custom-built solutions, self-serve subscriptions, and taking a percentage from the sale of data provided by satellite owners to customers through its platform.

Privateer's core offering consists of a suite of data and intelligence products. Wayfinder, the company's first application, is a publicly available tool that provides near real-time visualization of satellites and space debris, aiming to be the "Google Maps of space". It integrates data from various sources, including U.S. Space Command and Planet Labs, to help satellite operators and insurers assess collision risks. Complementing this is Pono, a compact, hosted payload module designed to be attached to partner satellites. Pono features on-board edge computing, AI, and storage, allowing satellite operators to process data in orbit, share assets, and plug into the Wayfinder marketplace, effectively creating a data ride-sharing economy. This system is designed to reduce the need for single-use satellites and democratize access to space data for a broader range of users, including researchers and commercial firms. Keywords: geospatial intelligence, space situational awareness, space debris tracking, satellite data analytics, Earth observation, space sustainability, Alex Fielding, Steve Wozniak, Moriba Jah, Wayfinder, Pono module, Orbital Insight, space traffic management, data fusion, satellite collision avoidance, remote sensing, supply chain intelligence, maritime monitoring, AI in space, data ride-sharing