Omanos Analytics are a Glasgow-based space technology start-up delivering space data knowledge to support sustainable development, with a mission to use space data to improve transparency and reduce risk around the social and environmental impacts of critical infrastructure projects.

With two core technologies: a smartphone app for communities to gather their own ground data, and a dashboard to visualise different data layers, from space and from the ground.

The team combines satellite data analysis with community insights (e.g. eyewitness testimonies, participatory mapping) and other ground data sources (e.g. soil and water sensors) to better identify, monitor and evidence how communities are affected by external developments, from conflict to the climate crisis.

Omanos specialises in remote or complex regions where satellite data is traditionally not used, and where in-person site monitoring is difficult, dangerous, and/or expensive.

Challenge:

A key part of their value proposition is delivering complex information in an accessible and useful way to end users who have varied levels of experience and technical knowledge.

There were no third-party data visualization tools that met their, or their customers’, needs. The start-ups challenge was to fill the gap in the market for a dashboard that could ingest and display remote sensing and GIS data on the status, environmental conditions, and social and environmental context of client target-sites, without compromising accuracy, latency, or accessibility.

Solution:

• Funding of €50,000
• One-on-one business advice, including investment readiness training and pitch coaching
• Technical support and expertise from STFC
• Networking opportunities across Edinburgh

Benefits:

Based on their challenge, Omanos Analytics’ key focus during their incubation with ESA BIC UK was to harness access to external technical expertise to help develop a prototype data communication and visualisation dashboard, Askr.

Similarly, the team wanted to leverage access to learning opportunities around parallel tracking market engagement with product development, both via instructional workshops and peer-to-peer exchanges with other members of the cohort.

The ESA BIC UK programme helped Omanos to develop and refine their technical and product strategy.

“The ESA BIC UK programme really helped us develop and refine our technical and product strategy – a year on, we have a clearer vision of our development strategy, and our USP.”

Celia Davies, Director, Omanos Analytics