This week, Gainsville, Florida’s Satlantis, the U.S. affiliate of Spanish microsatellite developer of the same name, announced that it has received a strategic investment from Encino, a Houston, Texas-based investment holding company controlled by energy decarbonization investor BP Energy Partners, independent energy growth investor EnCap, and natural gas infrastructure company Williams.
Satlantic said it plans to use the investment to speed the commercialization of its satellite-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring technology and to develop new products and services for the North American market.
Satlantis technology is built around proprietary multispectral infrared and visible imaging techniques to detect the origin and volume of methane, CO2 and other greenhouse gases with significantly greater precision than currently available technology. According to Satlantis, the technology can also be deployed for a wide range of other applications including visual monitoring of pipeline and electrical distribution lines, fire surveillance and prevention, imaging solutions to manage plastic and fertilizer contamination in coastal waters, monitoring of plants and agricultural diseases such as citrus greening and other environmental challenges.
“We are proud to offer ready-to-fly technologies to the U.S. market,” said Juan Tomas Hernani, CEO of Satlantis Microsats and Satlantis (U.S.) board member. “To date, Satlantis Microsats has successfully launched two high-spatial resolution cameras to the International Space Station, with three more satellite and cameras missions contracted and scheduled, including one satellite for Enagas, Spain’s leading natural gas distribution company. We are excited to offer a wide range of satellite-based applications to the U.S. Market.”
In connection with the investment, Satlantis has named Sean O’Keefe as Chairman of the Board. O’Keefe, is a four-time U.S. presidential appointee, having led NASA, as Secretary of the Navy, as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and deputy assistant to the President, and as comptroller and CFO of the Defense Department.
Satlantis was founded in Gainesville, Florida in 2013 by Dr. Rafael Guzmán, based on his research at the University of Florida. The firm’s U.S. operations are currently based at the University of Florida’s technology incubator, UF Innovate / Accelerate at the Hub.
Encino’s wholly owned subsidiary, Encino Services, is a Houston, Texas based environmental services company focused on the energy industry, whose operations include ground-based continuous emissions monitoring and measurement services (CEMS), compliance and ESG advisory services to the energy industry. Encino Services will be the exclusive distributor of Satlantis satellite-based methane emissions detection technology to the North American energy industry.
“Incorporating best in class satellite emissions data from Satlantis into our existing suite of emissions monitoring and measurement services will allow us to further assist our clients in identifying key areas for reductions and providing another key element of data to support their ESG efforts and reporting,” said Encino CEO Scott McCurdy, also a Board Member of Satlantis.
“Williams is extremely well positioned with our large-scale energy infrastructure network to drive the next generation of the clean energy marketplace,” said Chad Zamarin, senior vice president of Corporate Strategic Development for Williams. “Our investment in the Satlantis Technology through Encino Holdings will further enhance emissions detection and measurement capabilities, which is key in the delivery of the responsibly sourced natural gas that will help our customers achieve their sustainability goals.”
The reaction at the University of Florida, whose tech acclerator programs have received nine national and international awards for incubator excellence and achievements in technology commercialization, funding access, job creation, and tech-based economic development, was similarly enthusiastic.
“We offer our congratulations to Dr. Guzmán and UF start-up Satlantis for this latest success,” said Jim O’Connell, assistant vice president for commercialization at UF “It’s always rewarding to see a UF technology and company, especially one that has incubated with UF Innovate | Accelerate, provide a product or service that satisfies a true need.”
