exactEarth

exactEarth Ltd is a Canadian company that specializes in data services that deliver real-time global location-based maritime vessel tracking information utilizing patented satellite AIS detection technology.

exactEarth Ltd
TypeSubsidiary
FoundedJune 2009
HeadquartersCambridge, Canada
Key people
Peter Mabson, CEO
ProductsSatellite AIS Data Services and Solutions
ParentSpire Global
Websitehttps://www.exactEarth.com

exactEarth provides satellite AIS data services to commercial markets as well as government customers in India, Canada, United States, Australia and across Europe.[1][2]

Founded in 2009, exactEarth is based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. The company was publicly traded until 2021 when Spire Global acquired the company.

History

In 2005, COM DEV International first recognized that the AIS messages being transmitted by major ships could potentially be received from space. COM DEV validated its AIS detection capability through aircraft trials in 2007 and launched a nanosatellite (EV0) in April 2008.[3]

exactEarth commenced commercial operations in June 2009.[3] In September 2010, Hisdesat acquired a 27% equity interest in the company for a cash investment of approximately CA$15 million, with COM DEV retaining a 73% equity interest.[3]

On 23 June 2015, exactEarth filed a Preliminary Prospectus with Canadian Securities Administrators, announcing their intentions to launch an Initial public offering (IPO).[3] However, on 5 November 2015, exactEarth's largest shareholder, COM DEV, announced plans for an acquisition by Honeywell with exactEarth spinning out into its own publicly traded company.[4] exactEarth's prospectus was abandoned. COM DEV shareholders approved the acquisition on 21 January 2016, with each COM DEV shareholder receiving 0.1977 exactEarth stock for every COM DEV stock held.[5] Final court approval of the acquisition came on 25 January 2016.[6]

On 9 February 2016, exactEarth became a publicly traded company, trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol of XCT.[7] For a while, HISDESAT Servicios Estratégicos S.A.[8] was the largest stakeholder. However, in December 2021, the company was acquired by Spire Global and its stock were de-listed from the TSX.[9]

Satellites

On 8 June 2015, exactEarth announced a partnership with Harris Corporation to build 58 AIS detecting payloads to be launched on board the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation.[10] It is expected that this constellation will provide global average revisit times and customer data latency of less than one minute.[11]

As of October 2015, exactEarth operates a satellite constellation consisting of 9 satellites.[12]

Name Satellite Catalog Number Launch date Launch vehicle Constructor Notes
CANX 6 (EV0) 32784 28 April 2008 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Retired, used for R&D
ExactView-1 (EV1) 38709 22 July 2012 Soyuz-FG Surrey Satellite Technology Limited[13]
Resourcesat-2 (EV2) 37387 20 April 2011 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-G
AprizeSat-6 (EV6) 37793 17 August 2011 Dnepr-1
AprizeSat-7 (EV5R) 39416 21 November 2013 Dnepr-1
AprizeSat-8 (EV12) 39425 21 November 2013 Dnepr-1
AprizeSat-9 (EV11) 40018 19 June 2014 Dnepr-1
AprizeSat-10 (EV13) 40019 19 June 2014 Dnepr-1
ExactView-9 (EV9) 40936 28 September 2015 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL
M3MSat (EV7) 41605 22 June 2016 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL
PAZ (EV10) 43215 22 February 2018 Falcon 9 Full Thrust

Projects

exactEarth satellite AIS data was used in security efforts at the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics.[14]

exactEarth satellite AIS data was used in the ship emission modelling project of the Finnish Meteorological Institute.[15]

exactEarth satellite AIS data aids ScanEx RDC in identifying illegal shipping within marine protected natural areas.[16]

Awards

In 2009, exactEarth technology was recognized at the Ontario Premier's Innovation Awards for developing a satellite system for their work on satellite AIS.[17]

References
  1. "exactEarth receives CA$19.2 million AIS data contract from the Government of Canada". Canada News Wire (CNW). Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  2. Magan, Veronica (23 December 2016). "exactEarth to Provide India's Navy with satellite-AIS". Via Satellite.
  3. "Preliminary long form prospectus". p. 33. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  4. "COM DEV announces acquisition by Honeywell and spinout of exactEarth" (PDF).
  5. "COM DEV shareholders approve Arrangement with Honeywell" (PDF).
  6. "COM DEV receives final Court approval of Arrangement with Honeywell" (PDF).
  7. "exactEarth to Commence Trading Today on the Toronto Stock Exchange". Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  8. "COM DEV's exactEarth and Spain's HISDESAT join forces to tackle the space-based AIS Market". Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  9. "Spire Global, Inc. Completes Acquisition of exactEarth Ltd" (Press release). Business Wire. 30 November 2021.
  10. "exactEarth and Harris Corporation Form Strategic Alliance to Provide Real-Time Global Maritime Tracking and Information Solutions". Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  11. "The Next Generation Satellite AIS Constellation Provides Real-Time Global Ship Tracking". Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  12. "The exactView™ Constellation" (PDF). Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  13. "Ahoy! Your ship is being tracked from orbit". BBC News. Jonathan Amos. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  14. "exactEarth space-based AIS data makes contribution to security efforts for 2010 Olympics and Paralympics". Canada News Wire (CNW). Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  15. "Ship emission modeling" (PDF). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  16. "Satellites Detect Illegal Vessels in Komandorsky Nature Reserve". Sensors & Systems. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  17. "AIS Recognized at Ontario Premier's Innovation Awards". exactEarth.
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