Clark Labs
Clark Labs is a research unit within Clark University developing geospatial analytics software (TerrSet) and a pioneering geospatial AI foundation model, in partnership with NASA IMPACT and IBM, serving conservation researchers, academic institutions, and government agencies globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersWorcester, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Clark Labs does
Clark Labs is a research unit within Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, focused on geospatial analytics and remote sensing technology. Its flagship product, TerrSet, is geospatial analysis software originally developed in the 1980s and provides tools for remote sensing, GIS, land change modeling, and spatial modeling. Building on TerrSet, Clark Labs developed the world's first geospatial AI foundation model in partnership with NASA IMPACT and IBM, enabling researchers to build customized AI models for tasks such as mapping floods, droughts, and land-use changes. The unit reorganized in 2023 into the Center for Geospatial Analytics (CGA) under Director Hamed Alemohammad, with a focus on GeoAI innovation, open science tools, and democratized access to geospatial analytics.
The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining TerrSet software licensing with research grants and strategic partnerships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and TerrSet is distributed via direct download from Clark University's Center for Geospatial Analytics website. Funding and revenue flow from anchor relationships including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (a decade-long partnership since 2014 covering aquaculture monitoring and the blue economy), NASA IMPACT and IBM (foundation model co-development), and engagements with U.S. Federal Agencies on forest carbon monitoring. The customer base is concentrated among environmental researchers, conservation organizations (Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, Conservation International), academic institutions, and government agencies, with research spanning Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Arctic.
Clark Labs' go-to-market is research-led: it engages the global geospatial community through academic conferences (AGU 2025, QGIS events in Sweden, SpiceWorld 2025), publications, newsletters, and open science community channels. Technology partnerships with Esri and Microsoft support integration and reach. Only one funding round is publicly recorded ($1.8M in August 2011, investors undisclosed), and no revenue figures have been disclosed. The company is privately held as part of Clark University and reports 51-100 employees.
Clark Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clark Labs
- Legal name
- Clark Labs (Clark University)
- Website
- https://clarklabs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Clark Labs is a research unit within Clark University developing geospatial analytics software (TerrSet) and a pioneering geospatial AI foundation model, in partnership with NASA IMPACT and IBM, serving conservation researchers, academic institutions, and government agencies globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Clark Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Worcester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clark Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Software Licensing - TerrSet: TerrSet geospatial software is available for download from Clark University's Center for Geospatial Analytics website, suggesting a software licensing model for researchers, academics, and professionals in geospatial analytics.
- Research Grants and Partnerships: Funding from organizations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation supporting projects in aquaculture monitoring, conservation research, and climate studies since 2014.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Clark Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clark Labs develops and distributes the TerrSet geospatial analysis and modeling software platform for remote sensing, GIS, and spatial modeling applications, while conducting pioneering research on the world's first geospatial AI foundation model in collaboration with NASA IMPACT and IBM. Its offerings enable environmental researchers, conservation organizations, government agencies, and academics to analyze satellite imagery and geospatial data for applications such as mapping floods, droughts, land-use changes, agricultural patterns, coastal aquaculture, and forest carbon.
Product overview
Clark Labs operates through Clark University's Center for Geospatial Analytics (CGA), offering a portfolio centered on TerrSet geospatial software (developed since the 1980s) and the pioneering Geospatial AI Foundation Model developed with NASA IMPACT and IBM. TerrSet provides foundational remote sensing and GIS capabilities, while the AI foundation model enables researchers to build customized models for tasks such as mapping floods, droughts, and land-use changes. The portfolio serves global conservation and climate research spanning Africa, the Arctic, and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TerrSet: Geospatial analysis and modeling software developed by Clark Labs, featuring tools for remote sensing, land change modeling, and GIS analysis.
Products and services
- TerrSet Geospatial software providing tools for remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and spatial modeling; serves as the foundational platform from which the Center for Geospatial Analytics grew and is available for download by researchers, academics, and professionals in geospatial analytics.
- Geospatial AI Foundation Model The world's first geospatial AI foundation model developed in partnership with NASA IMPACT and IBM, enabling researchers to build customized AI models for mapping floods, droughts, and land-use changes for conservation and climate research applications globally.
Quantifiable outcome
- Geospatial AI foundation model enabling customized AI applications for flood, drought, and land-use change mapping
Companies that use Clark Labs
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clark Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
Clark Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- NASA IMPACTcoreNASA IMPACT (Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team) partnered with Clark CGA and IBM to develop the world's first geospatial AI foundation model, enabling researchers to build customized AI models for mapping floods, droughts, and land-use changes.
- IBMcoreIBM partnered with Clark CGA and NASA IMPACT to develop the world's first geospatial AI foundation model, advancing AI capabilities in geospatial analytics for environmental monitoring and climate research.
- EsricoreEsri collaborates with Clark Labs to support global conservation and climate research spanning Africa, the Arctic, and beyond through geospatial technology integration.
- Wildlife Conservation SocietycoreWildlife Conservation Society partners with Clark Labs to support global conservation and climate research spanning Africa, the Arctic, and beyond.
- Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationflagshipSince 2014, Clark CGA has partnered with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to tackle critical questions in aquaculture monitoring and the blue economy through a decade-long research initiative.
- VerraminorListed as a partner organization supporting the Center for Geospatial Analytics at Clark University.
- WWFminorListed as a partner organization supporting the Center for Geospatial Analytics at Clark University.
- Conservation InternationalminorListed as a partner organization supporting the Center for Geospatial Analytics at Clark University.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clark Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Maxar Technologies: Provider of high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial analytics for defense, intelligence, and civil government. Comparable in providing satellite-based Earth observation outputs used in environmental and land-use analysis.
- Planet Labs: Operator of a large commercial satellite constellation delivering daily Earth imagery plus analytics. Comparable as a satellite-imagery and geospatial analytics provider serving agriculture, forestry, and government markets.
- Trimble Geospatial: Provider of geospatial hardware and software solutions for surveying, mapping, and environmental monitoring. Comparable in serving geospatial analytics users across government and natural-resource verticals.
- Hexagon Geospatial: Division of Hexagon offering geospatial software (ERDAS Imagine, M.App Enterprise) for remote sensing and spatial modeling. Comparable in providing enterprise remote sensing and land-change analysis tools.
Direct peers
- Esri: Maker of ArcGIS, the dominant commercial geospatial analytics platform. Directly competes with TerrSet in remote sensing and GIS for government, academic, and conservation users, and is also a Clark CGA partner.
- QGIS (QGIS.org): Open-source desktop GIS application widely used by researchers and conservation organizations. Directly competes as an open-source alternative and Clark CGA is an active contributor to the QGIS community.
- Google Earth Engine: Google's cloud-based geospatial platform for planetary-scale satellite imagery analysis. Overlaps directly with TerrSet's remote sensing and land-change modeling use cases for researchers and conservation organizations.
- Microsoft Planetary Computer: Microsoft's geospatial data and analysis platform providing petabyte-scale environmental datasets and APIs. Competes for the same AI-on-Earth-observation workloads as Clark CGA's geospatial AI foundation model.
Emerging players
- Descartes Labs: Geospatial AI platform applying machine learning to satellite imagery for agriculture, energy, and sustainability analytics. Closely comparable to Clark CGA in applying AI foundation models to Earth observation problems.
- Orbital Insight: Geospatial analytics company applying AI to satellite and UAV imagery for environmental, supply-chain, and defense use cases. Comparable as an AI-on-satellite-imagery platform with overlapping customer segments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Clark Labs social profiles
Digital presenceClark Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clark Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Clark Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clark Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clark Labs
What does Clark Labs do?
Clark Labs develops and distributes the TerrSet geospatial analysis and modeling software platform for remote sensing, GIS, and spatial modeling applications, while conducting pioneering research on the world's first geospatial AI foundation model in collaboration with NASA IMPACT and IBM. Its offerings enable environmental researchers, conservation organizations, government agencies, and academics to analyze satellite imagery and geospatial data for applications such as mapping floods, droughts, land-use changes, agricultural patterns, coastal aquaculture, and forest carbon.
Is Clark Labs a public or private company?
Clark Labs is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Clark Labs founded?
Clark Labs was founded in 1980. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Clark Labs based?
Clark Labs is headquartered in Worcester, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clark Labs make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing - TerrSet is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Partnerships.
Who are Clark Labs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Maxar Technologies, Planet Labs, Trimble Geospatial and Hexagon Geospatial. Direct peers are Esri, QGIS (QGIS.org), Google Earth Engine and Microsoft Planetary Computer. Emerging players are Descartes Labs and Orbital Insight.
Does Clark Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clark Labs.