Company attributes
Other attributes
Blackshark.ai is an artificial intelligence (AI) geospatial intelligence company that extracts information from satellite and aerial imagery at a global scale using machine learning. Headquartered in Graz, Austria, Blackshark.ai is known for creating a 3D digital twin of the entire Earth for Microsoft’s 2020 Flight Simulator. The Blackshark.ai platform processes satellite imagery, detecting and segmenting objects, roads, vegetation, and other infrastructure on the surface of the planet without human intervention. This information is used to create a 3D digital representation of the world.
Blackshark.ai ingests and processes data from a variety of sources, including satellite, aerial, digital elevation models, and geospatial data. The platform provides no-code data labeling using patented technology. Neural networks automatically detect and extract features from the data provided to produce 3D digital twins for a geo-referenced database of planet surface infrastructure. Blackshark.ai works with government and commercial clients, offering 3D mapping and geospatial intelligence for a range of use cases, including security, environmental conservation, urban planning, critical infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, and humanitarian aid.
BlackShark.ai solutions include the following:
- Orca Huntr—This application gives customers the ability to identify objects on the Earth's surface.
- Blackshark.ai SYNTH3D—This synthetic, realistic 3D replica of the Earth's surface includes semantic information derived from 2D satellite and aerial imagery. Data is streamed from blackshark.ai servers and rendered into a realistic environment at runtime. Data includes terrain elevation, buildings, vegetation coverage, and infrastructure.
- Microsoft's Flight Simulator—Blackshark.ai's technology enables the game to display the surface of the planet in 3D, with other 1.5 billion buildings. The technology is now available for professional flight simulation and imager generator solutions.
- Synthetic 3D Globe—This up-to-date, digital 3D globe is used for flight simulators and image generators for pilot training and sensor simulation.
Originating from the world of video gaming, Blackshark.ai was spun out of gaming studio Bongfish in 2020 by Brad Young, Michael Putz, and Thomas Richter. On August 7, 2020, Microsoft announced Blackshark.ai was a key technology partner in the development of its upcoming Flight Simulator. Blackshark.ai created a digital twin of the Earth for the game, using AI to extract information about the world's infrastructure from satellite imagery.
On November 10, 2021, Blackshark.ai announced a $20 million series A round led by M12 (Microsoft’s venture fund) and Point72 Ventures Although financial terms were not disclosed Maxa Technologies made a strategic investment in Blackshark.ai in April 2022. The investment enables Blackshark.ai to deliver additional 3D capabilities to more customers while also introducing a new revenue stream. Blackshark.ai will use Maxar's global cloudless satellite imagery base map, Vivid, to generate a photorealistic 3D map for commercial and government customers in industries such as gaming, metaverse, simulation, and mixed reality environments.
On November 16, 2023, Blackshark.ai announced the closure of an oversubscribed $15 million series A extension, bringing its total series A funding to $35 million. Existing investors Point72 Ventures, M12 Microsoft’s Venture Fund, and Maxar were joined by In-Q-Tel (IQT), Safran, ISAI Cap Venture, Capgemini’s VC Fund managed by ISAI, Einstein Industries Ventures, Interwoven Ventures (formerly ROBO Global Ventures), Ourcrowd, Gaingels, and OpAmp Capital.
As of 2023, Blackshark.ai has grown to a team of over one hundred data scientists, geospatial engineers, 3D rendering programmers, and developers, with locations in Graz, Austria, Burlingame, California, and Zagreb, Croatia.
