Sanborn
Sanborn is a 160-year-old, privately held geospatial solutions provider offering aerial data acquisition (LiDAR, imagery, geophysical), software platforms (GeoServe, MapGeo, Broadband Navigator, M-Map), and consulting services to U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies and select commercial clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1866
- HeadquartersColorado Springs, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sanborn does
The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. ("Sanborn"), founded in 1866 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, is a privately held geospatial solutions provider serving primarily U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies, with additional commercial exposure. The company operates across five core divisions — Mapping, AppGeo (geospatial IT consulting), Sanborn Spatial Intelligence (commercial data reselling), Sanborn Geophysics (airborne geophysical surveys), and Onsite Services (staff augmentation). Sanborn's customer base is anchored by transportation departments (multiple state DOTs), federal civilian agencies (USGS, USDA, USFS, FHWA/USDOT), broadband offices, and utilities.
Sanborn's offering spans the full geospatial stack: owned aerial data acquisition (LiDAR including photon counting via VeriDaaS, orthoimagery, oblique imagery, hyperspectral, bathymetric, and airborne geophysical sensors), software products (GeoServe, Oblique Analyst, MapGeo, Giza imagery streaming, Broadband Navigator, M-Map HD for autonomous vehicles), and professional services (strategic planning, custom application development, staff augmentation, spatial analysis). Technology is built around an AI/ML-assisted processing pipeline for feature extraction, digital twin generation, and predictive spatial analytics, with cloud-hosted delivery on private and Google Cloud infrastructure. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and SOC 2 Type 2 attestation, and maintains a Blanket Purchase Agreement with the GSA/NGA.
The revenue model blends project-based data acquisition services, recurring SaaS subscriptions, data licensing, geophysical equipment sales, and value-added reselling of third-party geospatial platforms (Esri, Google Maps, HERE, Hexagon, Vexcel, Pixxel). Distribution is enterprise field sales organized by vertical (Transportation, Federal, State/Local, Geophysics), supplemented by the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (GS-10F-0099W) and state contract vehicles including Texas DIR. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by engagement type, with multi-year government contracts forming the bulk of revenue.
Sanborn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sanborn
- Legal name
- The Sanborn Map Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://sanborn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1866
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Sanborn is a 160-year-old, privately held geospatial solutions provider offering aerial data acquisition (LiDAR, imagery, geophysical), software platforms (GeoServe, MapGeo, Broadband Navigator, M-Map), and consulting services to U.S. federal, state, and local government agencies and select commercial clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sanborn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Geospatial Solutions and Mapping Services
- NAICS
- Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK), Mapping & Basemap Platforms (Tiles/SDKs) (BPAMANAB), Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)
Keywords
Where Sanborn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Colorado Springs
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Sanborn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services and Consulting: Geospatial IT consulting, strategic planning, custom application development, system integration, and managed services for government and commercial clients.
- Data Acquisition Services: Aerial survey services including LiDAR, orthoimagery, oblique imagery, hyperspectral imaging, bathymetric mapping, and geophysical surveys using company-owned aircraft and sensors.
- SaaS Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to proprietary platforms including GeoServe, Broadband Navigator, MapGeo, Mezurit.com, and Oblique Analyst software.
- Geophysical Equipment Sales: Sale and support of geophysical survey equipment including sensors for radiometric, electromagnetic, and magnetic data acquisition.
- Data Products Licensing: Licensing of geospatial data products including imagery, terrain models, HD maps, and specialized datasets to government and commercial customers.
- Value-Added Reselling: Resale of commercial data and platforms from strategic partners including Esri, Google, HERE Technologies, Hexagon, Vexcel, and Pixxel with technical expertise and integration services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | GSA Multiple Award Schedule for government procurement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sanborn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sanborn provides end-to-end geospatial solutions combining aerial data acquisition services (LiDAR, orthoimagery, oblique imagery, hyperspectral, bathymetric, airborne geophysical surveys) using its own fleet of aircraft and sensors, with proprietary SaaS software platforms (GeoServe, Oblique Analyst, MapGeo, Broadband Navigator, Giza, M-Map HD) and professional consulting services including custom application development, strategic planning, and staff augmentation. Offerings are delivered primarily to federal, state, and local government agencies, transportation departments, utilities, and broadband offices through GSA Schedule and state contract vehicles.
Product overview
Sanborn is a geospatial solutions provider offering an integrated platform of data collection services, software products, and professional services. The core data acquisition services include aerial survey using aircraft and drones equipped with lidar, orthoimagery, oblique imagery, hyperspectral imaging, bathymetric mapping, and geophysical sensors. Sanborn's software portfolio includes GeoServe (data management gateway), Oblique Analyst (imagery analysis), MapGeo (web mapping platform), Giza (imagery streaming), and Broadband Navigator (broadband challenge management). Professional services encompass spatial analysis, custom application development, strategic planning, staff augmentation, and flight services. The company operates through specialized divisions including Mapping, AppGeo (geospatial IT consulting), Sanborn Spatial Intelligence (commercial data reseller), Sanborn Geophysics, and Onsite Services. The M-Map HD mapping product line serves autonomous vehicle markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sanborn Spatial Intelligence: Value-added reseller division for geospatial data and partnerships with Google Maps Platform, HERE Technologies, Hexagon, Vexcel, Esri, and Pixxel.
- AppGeo Division
- Sanborn Geophysics
- Sanborn Flight Services
- GeoServe
- Oblique Analyst
- MapGeo
- Broadband Navigator
- Sanborn M-Map
- Mezurit
Products and services
- LiDAR Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 13,000 miles of non-state Federal Aid System roadways inventoried for Arizona DOT
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sanborn
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments12 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Sanborn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability7 records
Feature10 records
Sanborn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EsricoreEsri is a strategic partner (#125) for Sanborn, enabling deep integration with ArcGIS platform and enterprise GIS solutions. Sanborn is an Esri partner providing value-added reselling and technical expertise.
- Google Maps PlatformcoreStrategic partnership for Google Maps Platform, Google Cloud Platform, and Google Earth Engine. Sanborn provides technical expertise and value-added reselling of Google geospatial products.
- HERE TechnologiescoreStrategic partnership for HERE mapping and location services. Sanborn provides technical expertise and value-added reselling of HERE products.
- HexagoncoreStrategic partnership for Hexagon imagery products including Metro HD City Program and Content Plus for government. Sanborn is a value-added reseller.
- VexcelcoreStrategic partnership for Vexcel aerial imagery products. Sanborn provides access to Vexcel data with technical expertise and integration services.
- Overture Maps FoundationminorSanborn joined Overture Maps Foundation to advance open map data at a global scale, contributing to open geospatial data standards.
- USGScoreLong-standing partnership with U.S. Geological Survey for national mapping programs, 3DHP and 3DEP programs, and geophysical surveys including SD-MN-IA border region collaboration.
- GSA and NGAcoreBlanket Purchase Agreement from the General Services Administration and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to provide earth observation products, data and services to government customers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves2 records
Sanborn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Woolpert: U.S.-based geospatial, engineering, and architecture firm offering aerial LiDAR, orthoimagery, surveying, and GIS services to federal, state, and commercial clients. Most directly comparable to Sanborn by service mix, vertical orientation, and government customer profile.
- NV5 Global: Public technical engineering and consulting firm with a substantial geospatial, surveying, and aerial-mapping practice serving infrastructure, environmental, and government markets. Comparable in service breadth, federal/state exposure, and acquisition-driven growth strategy.
- EagleView: U.S. provider of high-resolution oblique and orthogonal aerial imagery and analytics for government, insurance, and roofing — directly competes with Sanborn's oblique imagery, Mezurit, and Oblique Analyst offerings on similar customer use cases.
- Aerial Services Inc. (ASI): U.S. geospatial firm providing aerial photography, LiDAR, and photogrammetric mapping services to federal, state, and local government. Direct competitor in core aerial acquisition services with comparable government contract vehicle access.
Broad incumbents
- Fugro: Global geotechnical and geospatial services company with aerial survey, hydrography, and geophysics capabilities comparable to Sanborn's Sanborn Geophysics ULC division. Much larger and more international, but overlaps directly on airborne geophysical and bathymetric work.
- Hexagon (HxGN): Global geospatial technology conglomerate offering imagery (Content Program), sensors, and software platforms. Both a strategic partner to Sanborn (via Content Plus) and a competitive incumbent at the platform/sensor layer.
- Maxar Technologies: Large satellite-imagery and geospatial-intelligence company serving defense, intelligence, and commercial markets. Competes with Sanborn's remote sensing practice and offers a substitute source of imagery for similar downstream use cases.
- Trimble Geospatial: Provider of geospatial hardware, software, and services for surveying, mapping, and construction. Broader portfolio than Sanborn but overlaps on data acquisition hardware/software and integration services.
- Esri: Dominant GIS software platform provider and a strategic partner to Sanborn. Competes indirectly where Esri's professional services and partner network encroach on Sanborn's AppGeo consulting practice, while also being the platform on which much of Sanborn's stack is built.
Emerging players
- Planet Labs: Satellite-imagery company with high-revisit Earth observation data increasingly substituting for some aerial collection use cases. Not a direct competitor on services but a structural threat to Sanborn's aerial data-acquisition economics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sanborn social profiles
Digital presenceSanborn compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Sanborn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sanborn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Sanborn subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Sanborn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sanborn M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sanborn
What does Sanborn do?
Sanborn provides end-to-end geospatial solutions combining aerial data acquisition services (LiDAR, orthoimagery, oblique imagery, hyperspectral, bathymetric, airborne geophysical surveys) using its own fleet of aircraft and sensors, with proprietary SaaS software platforms (GeoServe, Oblique Analyst, MapGeo, Broadband Navigator, Giza, M-Map HD) and professional consulting services including custom application development, strategic planning, and staff augmentation. Offerings are delivered primarily to federal, state, and local government agencies, transportation departments, utilities, and broadband offices through GSA Schedule and state contract vehicles.
Is Sanborn a public or private company?
Sanborn is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Sanborn founded?
Sanborn was founded in 1866. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Sanborn based?
Sanborn is headquartered in Colorado Springs, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sanborn make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Professional Services and Consulting is the primary driver. The others are data Acquisition Services, saaS Subscriptions, geophysical Equipment Sales, data Products Licensing and value-Added Reselling.
Who are Sanborn's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Woolpert, NV5 Global, EagleView and Aerial Services Inc. (ASI). Broad incumbents are Fugro, Hexagon (HxGN), Maxar Technologies, Trimble Geospatial and Esri. Planet Labs is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sanborn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sanborn.
What industry is Sanborn in?
Sanborn's product category is Geospatial Solutions and Mapping Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMANAM, Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMANAK, GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms. Its NAICS code is 54137 and its SIC code is 7370.