Democratizing Earth Observation for a Safer World

In the rapidly evolving landscape of defense and national security, timely, accurate, and accessible intelligence is paramount. Traditional methods of acquiring satellite imagery and geospatial data have often been characterized by lengthy contracts, high costs, and complex technical requirements, creating significant barriers for many organizations. Enter SkyFi, an Austin, Texas-based startup that is disrupting this paradigm by democratizing access to Earth observation data, making it as simple as an online purchase.

Founded in 2021 by Bill Perkins and Luke Fischer (CEO & Co-founder), SkyFi emerged from a vision to break down these barriers. Their mission is clear: to empower businesses, governments, and individuals with unparalleled access to satellite and aerial imagery, and the powerful analytics that transform raw data into actionable insights. This commitment to accessibility and ease of use, coupled with a deep understanding of the critical needs of sectors like defense, has positioned SkyFi as a pivotal player in the commercial space industry.

A Platform Built for Speed and Simplicity

At its core, SkyFi is a self-service Earth intelligence platform. Through intuitive web and mobile interfaces, users can perform a range of critical functions without needing specialized training or navigating bureaucratic hurdles. The platform allows users to:

• Task satellites: Directly request new images of specific areas of interest, offering unprecedented control and responsiveness.
• Access archived imagery: Tap into a vast library of existing satellite and aerial data, providing historical context and immediate insights.
• Run integrated analytics: Transform raw imagery and datasets into meaningful answers using SkyFi’s advanced tools, including object detection, hyperspectral signature analysis, and commodity stockpile measurement.

This streamlined approach is a significant departure from conventional methods, where acquiring such data could take weeks or even months. SkyFi’s “select, checkout, and await swift delivery” model aims to provide data within hours, a crucial advantage in fast-moving defense and disaster response scenarios. Their transparent pricing model further enhances accessibility, ensuring users only pay for what they need, with low minimum order sizes.

Impact on the Defense Sector: Supporting Mission-Critical Decisions, Fast

While SkyFi’s platform serves a diverse range of industries—from agriculture and environmental monitoring to insurance and urban planning—its impact on the defense sector is particularly noteworthy. In a world demanding real-time situational awareness and rapid response capabilities, SkyFi’s offerings provide vital support for American warfighters and global partners.

One of SkyFi’s key collaborations is with the U.S. Space Force’s Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking Program (TacSRT). Through this partnership, SkyFi turns commercial imagery and analytics into actionable products to support real-world missions in a matter of hours. These aren’t long-term research projects; they are rapid, direct taskings with short delivery windows and significant real-world consequences.

Consider the following factual examples of SkyFi’s contributions to defense and humanitarian efforts:

• Humanitarian Aid in Argentina: When historic floods devastated parts of Argentina in March 2025, U.S. forces required immediate understanding of the ground situation to assist international partners with humanitarian aid. SkyFi, tasked through the TacSRT pipeline, provided fresh imagery of flooded zones near critical infrastructure. Within 48 hours, the mission team had the necessary data to facilitate recovery efforts and assess impacts on local infrastructure.
• Earthquake Response in Myanmar: Following a recent earthquake in Myanmar, TacSRT again leveraged commercial vendors like SkyFi to deliver real-time geospatial updates. These updates included crucial information on local aid efforts, blocked roads, and structural vulnerabilities. These short-term, essential orders helped responders prioritize where to send crews and resources, directly contributing to life-saving operations.
• Maritime Domain Awareness: In high-traffic maritime regions, illegal activities like unregistered vessels often turn off their transponders, disappearing from standard tracking systems. Space-based imaging fills this critical gap. SkyFi has supported TacSRT taskings to monitor ship clusters and movement patterns in sensitive maritime corridors using satellite imagery, AIS (Automatic Identification System), and other data sources, enhancing maritime domain awareness and counter-illicit activities.

These examples underscore SkyFi’s commitment to supporting mission-critical needs, providing rapid geospatial data analysis to American warfighters and partners around the globe. The company’s data and analytics are globally available, sourced from a wide network of commercial partners, ensuring comprehensive coverage and responsiveness.

Expanding Capabilities: SAR and Hyperspectral Data

SkyFi’s commitment to providing comprehensive Earth observation solutions is evident in its continuous expansion of data types and partnerships. A significant development in recent months has been the strategic partnership with ICEYE US, integrating ICEYE’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data into the SkyFi platform.

SAR technology is a game-changer for Earth observation, particularly in defense applications. Unlike optical imagery, SAR can penetrate clouds and operate independently of sunlight, providing crucial insights day or night, and in all weather conditions. This capability is invaluable for persistent monitoring, particularly in regions prone to adverse weather or where continuous surveillance is required.

The integration of ICEYE’s SAR constellation—the world’s largest commercial radar fleet with over 50 satellites—directly into SkyFi’s platform means users can now access high-resolution SAR datasets with the same streamlined process they use for other satellite data. This includes drawing an area of interest, choosing a sensor, and selecting between tasking or archive options. For enterprise users, automated tasking via SkyFi APIs enables applications such as border security, infrastructure tracking, and disaster response with unprecedented efficiency.

Beyond SAR, SkyFi also offers hyperspectral imagery. This advanced form of Earth observation captures data across a much wider spectrum of light than traditional optical sensors, allowing for the identification of specific materials and conditions on the Earth’s surface that are invisible to the naked eye. This capability holds immense potential for defense intelligence, including detecting camouflaged objects, identifying geological features, and monitoring environmental changes that could impact military operations.

The Road Ahead: A Resilient and Connected Future

SkyFi’s trajectory is firmly aligned with the broader shift towards commercial space capabilities supporting national security objectives. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), for instance, has been actively expanding its pool of contractors for the “Hybrid Space Architecture” (HSA), an ambitious multi-agency effort to create a multi-orbit, public-private satellite communications (SATCOM) network designed to be largely impervious to jamming. SkyFi’s rapid integration and delivery capabilities position it as a valuable contributor to such initiatives, demonstrating how commercial innovators can solve complex problems at speed and scale for the Department of Defense.

With a total funding of $17 million across two rounds, from investors including J2 Ventures, Capital Factory, and Balerion Space, SkyFi is well-positioned for continued growth and innovation. Their “Always Be Hustling” ethos, coupled with a commitment to transparency, community, and impact, drives their aggressive growth goals.

The company’s focus on user-friendliness, transparent pricing, and rapid delivery of diverse geospatial data types is not just a business model; it’s a strategic imperative for a world that increasingly relies on immediate and accurate Earth intelligence. As global challenges evolve, SkyFi’s ability to “democratize” access to the insights derived from space promises to redefine how organizations, especially those in the defense sector, monitor, plan, and respond, contributing to a safer and more resilient world.