Earth observation company bags its first influencer

A Florida-based Earth Observation (EO) startup launching the world’s first commercial, space-based Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) constellation just closed its latest funding round with help from a consortium of investors that included Leonardo DiCaprio.

Using a remote sensing tech first developed 60+ years ago for the Apollo 15 mission and recently brought mainstream by self-driving cars, Nuview emerged from stealth mode last month with plans to map the entire Earth in 3D, high-resolution with lasers capable of penetrating darkness and dense vegetation. Now, with $15 million of fresh capital, a DoD contract worth $2.75 million, $1.2 billion dollars in early-adopter agreements, and a celebrity investor, Nuview is showing the space sector how government-dominated tech can go commercial.

Will this mark the beginning of increased investment in EO companies by high-profile environmentalists like DiCaprio? Time will tell, but it goes without saying it didn’t hurt that NuView was younger than 25 years old.

SOURCE: https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/06/nuview-hit-15m-leonardo-dicaprio/