4 Earth Intelligence (4EI)

A Bristol-based company, formed in 2020, that turns satellite data into maps and monitoring for air quality, ecology, climate and city planning.

About 4 Earth Intelligence (4EI)

4 Earth Intelligence, usually called 4EI, turns data from satellites into information that people can use. Satellites collect huge amounts of images and measurements of the planet, but the raw data is hard to use. 4EI applies machine learning and analytics to turn it into smart monitoring of things such as air quality, ecology, urban heat, climate change and the condition of buildings, roads and other assets. A directory entry describes its work as applied Earth intelligence and analytics for the geospatial and environmental sectors, including natural capital, biodiversity and environmental hazards, for government bodies, public organisations and commercial clients.

The company was launched in February 2020 and appointed its board that month. David Critchley is chief executive, with Richard Flemmings as partner and technical director, Chris Burnett as operations director, Donna Lyndsay as commercial director and Angela Ashdown as chief finance officer. The company said the board had more than 90 years of combined experience in geospatial and Earth observation work, with earlier jobs at firms and bodies including Bluesky, Blom Aerofilms, EarthSense, Landmark Information Group and the European Space Agency. Mr Critchley said: "It is our mission to ensure that everyone can access high quality data that is proven, consistent and repeatable."

In the UK, the launch news was datelined Bristol, and a directory lists the registered address as Kings Court, Little King Street, in the centre of Bristol. The 2020 launch article also mentioned an office in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which suggests an international side to the business. We did not find a headcount. Bristol is the centre of the Space West cluster, with Airbus, Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio nearby, and 4EI appears in a regional early-careers guide as a Bristol space employer.

The pages we could read do not describe culture in detail. The company is a small, young business with a leadership team who have spent years in the same industry, so it is likely to offer exposure to many parts of the business at once. That is our inference, not a company claim, and it is worth checking against the company's own website and recent news.

In a company like this you would expect to find data scientists and analysts who work on satellite images, geospatial and GIS specialists, software developers, environmental scientists, and commercial and operations staff who work with customers. Geography, environmental science, maths, computing and physics are the usual starting subjects. The company's website will show where it is currently recruiting.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Using satellite data and machine learning to produce monitoring information for cities, regions and countries.', 'title': 'Satellite data analysis'}
• {'desc': 'Products for air quality, ecology, urban heat, climate and natural capital.', 'title': 'Environmental monitoring'}
• {'desc': 'Using satellite information to track the condition of infrastructure and land.', 'title': 'Asset monitoring'}

Key facts

• Launched in February 2020 in Bristol; offices in Bristol and Abu Dhabi reported at launch
• Founding team led by chief executive David Critchley, with more than 90 years of combined experience in Earth observation
• Stated mission: make high-quality, proven, consistent Earth observation data available to everyone
• Registered address in central Bristol (directory entry)

Website: www.4earthintelligence.com