What UNAVCO does

UNAVCO, Inc. is a non-profit geodetic research organization headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, that operates the NSF GAGE (Geodetic Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience) Facility on behalf of the National Science Foundation with co-funding from NASA and USGS. Since 2019 its operations have been integrated into the EarthScope Consortium. Its core technical asset is the Network of the Americas (NOTA), a continental-scale array of more than 2,100 continuous GNSS/GPS stations and associated borehole strainmeters and seismic instruments, complemented by seafloor geodesy, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Lidar/Structure-from-Motion data products, and specialized polar-region instrumentation support. The organization exposes its archive through web portals, data services, Observable-hosted interactive notebooks, the GPS Velocity Viewer visualization tool, and the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Strain Rate Model v2.1, which compiles horizontal velocities from 22,415 geodetic sites. The user base is the academic Earth-science research community, U.S. and foreign government agencies (USGS, NASA, INETER, UNAM), and students in the RESESS, Geo-Launchpad, and USIP internship programs.

Name

UNAVCO

Legal name

UNAVCO, Inc.

Website

https://unavco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UNAVCO operates the NSF GAGE Facility, a continental network of 2,100+ GNSS stations and borehole instruments, providing geodetic data, instrumentation, and software to the Earth-science research community under NSF, NASA, and USGS funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geodetic Research Infrastructure

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM), Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring (Settlement, Inclinometers, Piezometers) (IMAFAOAH), Seismic & Geoscience Services (Acquisition, Processing, Interpretation) (EUALABAK)

Keywords

• Geodetic data services
• GPS/GNSS networks
• Geophysical research infrastructure
• Earth science instrumentation
• Seismic monitoring data

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. NSF Cooperative Agreement: Primary funding from National Science Foundation cooperative agreement EAR-1724794 to operate the NSF GAGE Facility

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UNAVCO operates the NSF GAGE (Geodetic Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience) Facility, providing geodetic data, instrumentation networks (including the Network of the Americas with over 2,100 GNSS stations), borehole strain and seismic instruments, and software tools for Earth sciences research. The organization provides researchers with continuous GPS/GNSS data, geodetic imaging products (SAR, Lidar/SfM), polar services, GNSS campaign support, and visualization tools to study plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and crustal deformation.

Product overview

UNAVCO, operating as EarthScope Consortium, manages the NSF GAGE Facility (Geodetic Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience) — a comprehensive geophysical research infrastructure. The core offerings include GPS/GNSS data access through continuous stations and campaign data, supported by the Network of the Americas (NOTA) instrumentation network. Data access is facilitated via Observable notebooks and the GPS Velocity Viewer visualization tool. Additional products include borehole strain and seismic instruments, geodetic imaging (SAR and Lidar/SfM), and the GEM Strain Rate Model for seismic hazard analysis. The facility provides specialized services for polar regions and GNSS campaign support, all funded by NSF with support from NASA and USGS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Network of the Americas (NOTA): A network of continuous GPS/GNSS stations and borehole instruments that monitors plate motion and transient deformation across the Americas.
• GAGE Facility
• RESESS
• Geo-Launchpad
• USIP

Products and services

• NSF GAGE Facility The Geodetic Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience (GAGE) is one of the National Science Foundation's premier geophysical facilities, providing data, instrumentation, and software services to the geoscience research and education community.
• GPS/GNSS Data Access Access to Global Navigation Satellite System data including continuous GPS stations, campaign data, and derived products such as velocity solutions and time series for studying plate tectonics and crustal deformation. Targeted at researchers and Earth scientists.
• Network of the Americas (NOTA) A network of more than 2,100 continuous GPS/GNSS stations and borehole instruments that monitors plate motion and transient deformation across the Americas.
• Borehole Instruments Borehole strainmeters and seismic instruments installed underground for high-precision strain and seismic measurements, with data accessible via borehole.unavco.org.
• Geodetic Imaging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and Lidar/SfM (Structure from Motion) data products for deformation mapping and surface change analysis.
• Polar Services Specialized support for geodetic instrumentation and data collection in polar regions, including Arctic and Antarctic operations.
• GNSS Campaign Support Equipment lending and technical support for temporary GPS/GNSS survey campaigns for research projects.
• GEM Strain Rate Model (GSRM v2.1) Global Earthquake Model Strain Rate Model providing digital strain rate estimates based on geodetic GPS velocity data for seismic hazard analysis. Includes 22,415 geodetic sites with 18,536 horizontal velocities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,100 GNSS stations in Network of the Americas providing continuous plate motion monitoring
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTLALOCNet collaboration with UNAM provides GNSS station network across Mexico. Some stations are operated by UNAM while others are supported by UNAVCO as part of NOTA.
• Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies (INETER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINETER partners with UNAVCO for GNSS stations around Telica Volcano in Nicaragua, supporting volcanic monitoring through NSF award 0911546.
• University of Washington Department of Earth and Space SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for the RESESS Satellite program, expanding the internship program to engage students from groups underrepresented in geosciences.
• University of Colorado BouldercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner for RESESS Boulder program and TRaIL Laboratory collaboration, hosting interns and conducting thermochronology research.
• Nevada Geodetic LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution led by Corne Kreemer providing the GEM Strain Rate Model, a digital model of strain rate estimates based on geodetic velocity data.
• EarthScope ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarthScope Consortium operates the NSF GAGE Facility and NSF National Geophysical Facility (NSF NGF). UNAVCO merged operations into EarthScope to form a unified consortium.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EarthScope Consortium: EarthScope Consortium is the parent organization that absorbed UNAVCO in 2019 and now operates both the NSF GAGE Facility (formerly UNAVCO's mandate) and the NSF SAGE Facility, making it the most directly comparable operator of US academic geophysical infrastructure.
• NASA Global GNSS Network: NASA's Global GNSS Network is a co-funder and operational partner to UNAVCO. It overlaps directly with UNAVCO's GPS/GNSS station mission, particularly for space-based Earth observation support, and shares core technology and instrumentation standards.
• USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program is a co-funder and operational partner of UNAVCO and operates its own seismic and geodetic monitoring networks. It is comparable in mission (US earthquake and crustal deformation monitoring) and shares federal funding streams.
• International GNSS Service (IGS): IGS is the global scientific federation coordinating GNSS tracking networks and high-precision data products. UNAVCO's GAGE Facility contributes data into the IGS framework, making IGS the global umbrella peer in the same GNSS infrastructure category.

Direct peers

• IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology): IRIS operates the NSF SAGE Facility, the seismological counterpart to UNAVCO's GAGE Facility. Both are NSF-funded geophysical facilities serving the same academic research community with overlapping governance models and federal funding sources.
• Nevada Geodetic Laboratory: Nevada Geodetic Laboratory (UNR) is a partner institution that compiled the GEM Strain Rate Model using UNAVCO-affiliated GPS/GNSS data. It operates one of the largest GPS data processing centers in the US and is a direct functional peer for GNSS-derived crustal deformation products.
• Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center (SOPAC): SOPAC at UC San Diego operates one of the longest-running GPS/GNSS data centers in the US, providing high-precision GNSS data products and analysis for the same Earth science research community that UNAVCO's GAGE Facility serves.

Regional players

• Geoscience Australia: Geoscience Australia operates the national GNSS and geodetic monitoring network for Australia. It is a comparable national geodetic operator funded by a federal science agency, but serves the Australian region rather than the Americas.
• GNS Science (New Zealand): GNS Science operates New Zealand's GeoNet network of GNSS, seismic, and volcano monitoring stations. It is directly comparable in mission and instrumentation mix, but is geographically focused on New Zealand rather than the Americas.

Emerging players

• Pacific Northwest Seismic Network: PNSN operates regional seismic and geodetic monitoring for the Pacific Northwest under USGS and NSF support. It shares UNAVCO's academic/government model and uses overlapping GNSS and strain instrumentation for tectonic and volcanic hazard monitoring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earthscope
• Xx.com/UNAVCO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UNAVCO