Explicit
Explicit ApS is a Danish greentech company that provides drone-based, ISO/IEC 17025-accredited emissions monitoring services — primarily fugitive methane and GHG quantification — to oil & gas operators, maritime regulators, and wastewater utilities across 20+ countries using its patented Drone Flux Measurement (DFM) Method.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersLyngby, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Explicit does
Explicit ApS is a Danish greentech company founded in 1998 that, after an initial decade in financial-sector data acquisition software, pivoted in 2013 to drone-based emissions monitoring under the leadership of founder-CEO Jon Knudsen. The company operates a proprietary Drone Flux Measurement (DFM™) Method — patented and the first drone-based gas sensing technique globally to earn ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation (DANAK, 2022/2023) — which simultaneously samples gas concentrations and wind flow from a flying drone to quantify fugitive methane, CO₂, and nitrous oxide emissions at industrial site level with approximately 20% measurement uncertainty. The platform is complemented by the Mini Sniffer System for maritime sulphur and NOx compliance, a Flare Efficiency Measurement (FlareE) service, the E-Lab cloud platform for ISO-compliant reporting, and 3D emissions visualization integrated into client site models.
Explicit sells primarily through direct enterprise sales, delivering fully managed emissions monitoring services — field operations, data processing, and reporting — on a project-based, quote-driven model with multi-million EUR contract values. Customers include major energy operators Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Woodside; maritime and environmental regulators such as EMSA and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency; and emerging wastewater treatment accounts. The company operates from its Virum, Denmark headquarters with regional offices in Lüneburg (Germany), Stavanger (Norway), and Brisbane (Australia via subsidiary Explicit Asia Pacific Pty Ltd), and conducts survey work across 20+ countries spanning five continents.
The business model is professional services anchored by a single physical asset class (calibrated drone sensor systems) and a proprietary accredited methodology that maps directly to OGMP 2.0, EU Methane Regulation, MARPOL Annex VI, and EU Sulphur Directive compliance frameworks. Revenue is project-based with no disclosed recurring SaaS component, though the E-Lab platform creates potential for future software-anchored monetization. The company remains privately held by founders Jon and Bettina Knudsen, with no identified venture capital or private equity ownership.
Explicit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Explicit
- Legal name
- Explicit ApS
- Website
- https://explicit.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Explicit ApS is a Danish greentech company that provides drone-based, ISO/IEC 17025-accredited emissions monitoring services — primarily fugitive methane and GHG quantification — to oil & gas operators, maritime regulators, and wastewater utilities across 20+ countries using its patented Drone Flux Measurement (DFM) Method.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Explicit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Drone-based Emissions Monitoring Services
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fugitive Emissions & Leak Detection (LDAR, OGI, Methane) (EUAHADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Remote Sensing & Geospatial MRV (Satellite, Aerial, LiDAR, SAR) (EUABACAF), Leak Detection, Emissions & LDAR Testing (OGI, methane, fugitive emissions) (EUAEAHAL), Mobile Source & Fleet Emissions MRV (Transport, aviation, marine) (EUAHADAJ)
Keywords
Where Explicit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyngby
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Explicit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Emissions Monitoring Services: Service-based revenue from drone-based emissions monitoring campaigns. The company delivers fully managed monitoring solutions covering field operations, data processing, and reporting. Contracts are project-based with multi-million EUR value (e.g., Equinor 2025 contract). Also offers collaborative models with local partners including training, sensor payloads, data analysis, and quality control.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Explicit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Explicit provides drone-based emissions monitoring services centered on its patented Drone Flux Measurement (DFM™) Method, which quantitatively measures fugitive greenhouse gases (methane, CO₂, N₂O) from industrial sites at site level. Its portfolio includes a Flare Efficiency Measurement service, a Maritime Solution for ship sulphur/NOx/methane compliance, and the E-Lab cloud platform for ISO/IEC 17025-compliant data delivery. Customers are primarily oil & gas operators, maritime regulators, and wastewater treatment plants.
Product overview
Explicit provides an integrated portfolio of drone-based emissions monitoring solutions centered around four core offerings: the Drone Flux Measurement (DFM™) Method for quantifying fugitive GHG emissions from industrial sites; the Flare Efficiency Measurement solution for assessing flare combustion performance; the Maritime Solution for ship emissions compliance monitoring; and the E-Lab cloud platform for data management and ISO 17025-compliant reporting. These solutions work together as an end-to-end service—drones collect emissions data using specialized sensors, transmit it in real-time to E-Lab for quality control and analysis, and deliver validated reports to clients. The company operates globally across 20+ countries serving oil & gas, maritime, wastewater, and other industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DFM (Drone Flux Measurement): Patented drone-based emissions monitoring technology for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions including methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and nitrous oxide (N₂O).
- E-Lab (Emissions Lab)
- Mini Sniffer System
Products and services
- Drone Flux Measurement (DFM™) Method Patented drone-based service using integrated gas and wind sensors to quantify fugitive greenhouse gas emissions (methane, CO₂, nitrous oxide) from industrial sources at site level with approximately 20% measurement uncertainty; ISO/IEC 17025 accredited.
- Flare Efficiency Measurement (FlareE) Drone-based service for measuring flare Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE) by sampling flare plumes in-situ to assess combustion performance and quantify CH₄ and CO₂ emissions.
- Maritime Solution Airborne maritime emissions monitoring service using the Mini Sniffer System on crewed and uncrewed aircraft to detect SO₂, NOx, and methane slip from ships for MARPOL Annex VI compliance.
- E-Lab (Emissions Lab) Cloud-based emissions data management platform providing automated workflows, real-time data transmission, quality-controlled ISO 17025-compliant reporting, and accessibility for both drone operators and clients.
- Mini Sniffer System Pre-calibrated airborne sensor units comprising SO₂, CO₂, NO, NOx, temperature and humidity sensors for maritime emissions monitoring, with calibrations according to ISO standard 6145-1.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20% measurement uncertainty in final emission rate results
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Explicit
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Explicit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Explicit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Cyberhawk Innovations LtdcoreUK-based subcontractor and pilot partner for parts of the Equinor methane emissions monitoring campaign. Provided multi-crew drone deployment capabilities for large-scale offshore operations. Collaboration enabled rapid progress with simultaneous multi-crew operations during narrow North Sea weather windows.
- Nordic UnmannedcoreLead pilot operator for EMSA maritime emissions monitoring missions. Nordic Unmanned operates the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 VTOL platforms while Explicit provides key mini sniffer technology, emissions analysis, and data transmission capabilities.
- European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)coreEMSA has been the primary channel partner since 2018, contracting Explicit for RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) maritime emissions monitoring services. Service expanded from Denmark to France, Lithuania, Spain, and Germany. EMSA manages and pilots the RPAS operations while Explicit provides sensor technology and emissions analysis.
- International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)coreCollaborated in the FUMES (Fugitive and Unburned Methane Emissions from Ships) project to collect the most comprehensive dataset of real-world methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships, including methane slip from marine engines and fugitive emissions.
- Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)corePartnered with ICCT and Explicit in the FUMES project to research methane emissions from ships. TNO contributed scientific expertise to the comprehensive dataset collection from LNG-fueled vessels.
- Danish Technical University (DTU)strategicDTU collaborated in validating the DFM method for both methane quantification and nitrous oxide measurement. University partnership contributed to scientific rigor and method validation at industry test sites.
- FORCE TechnologystrategicCollaborated in validating the DFM method at industry test sites. Contributed to development and validation of drone-based measurement techniques for emissions monitoring.
- BIOFOSstrategicPartner in AWAIRE research project for nitrous oxide measurement at wastewater treatment plants. BIOFOS Avedøre facility served as primary field testing site for DFM-N2O method development.
- Krüger A/SstrategicCollaborated in the AWAIRE research project alongside DTU, BIOFOS, and Explicit. Project focused on developing drone-based technology for quantifying nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment.
- Equinor ASAcoreMajor strategic partner and customer. Collaborated on FlareE project (EUDP programme) for flare DRE measurement methodology development. Also awarded multi-million EUR contract for comprehensive methane emissions measurement campaign across Norwegian assets. Partnership supports Equinor's OGMP 2.0 and methane reduction ambitions.
- TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiative (TADI)strategicCollaborated in validating the DFM method at leading industry test sites. TotalEnergies partnership contributed to method validation and demonstrated DFM capability on offshore platforms.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Explicit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GHGSat: GHGSat operates a constellation of satellites for high-resolution methane and CO2 detection, directly competing with Explicit in site-level emissions quantification for oil & gas operators. Both target OGMP 2.0 / EU Methane Regulation compliance buyers and offer measurement-based MRV services.
- SeekOps: SeekOps provides drone-based methane and leak detection quantification services for oil & gas, similar to Explicit's DFM Method. Both compete for fugitive emissions monitoring campaigns and OGMP 2.0 Gold Standard contracts at upstream and midstream assets.
- Aeromon: Finnish drone-based emissions monitoring company measuring industrial air pollutants including methane, VOCs, and particulate matter. Targets similar industrial site-level emissions quantification use cases as Explicit, particularly in European energy markets.
- Bridger Photonics: Bridger Photonics uses laser-based Gas Mapping LiDAR from aircraft and drones to detect and quantify methane leaks. It is a direct alternative to Explicit's DFM Method for site-level methane measurement at oil & gas facilities.
Emerging players
- Carbon Mapper: Public-benefit consortium (Planet Labs, Carbon Direct, others) launching Tanager-1 satellite for high-resolution methane and CO2 point-source detection. Competes with Explicit in methane source identification, though with different technology and a non-profit/government-aligned go-to-market.
- Capterio: London-based gas flaring elimination company with flare monitoring capabilities. Comparable to Explicit's Flare Efficiency Measurement (FlareE) solution for measuring Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE) at upstream oil & gas facilities.
- Kayrros: Paris-based environmental intelligence company combining satellite, sensor, and asset-level data to quantify methane and CO2 emissions for energy and industrial clients. Overlaps with Explicit in serving oil & gas emissions intelligence buyers, though Kayrros emphasizes software/analytics over field services.
- Sniffer Solutions: Drone-based emissions monitoring company focused on methane and other GHGs from industrial sites. Competes with Explicit in the drone-based fugitive emissions quantification market, particularly in European and APAC oil & gas markets.
Broad incumbents
- MethaneSAT (Environmental Defense Fund): EDF's satellite mission purpose-built to quantify methane emissions from oil & gas globally. A broad-incumbent, philanthropic-backed alternative in the methane MRV space that could compete with Explicit on cost-per-detection at scale, though with different geographic coverage and resolution.
Others
- TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiative (TADI): TotalEnergies' in-house program for validating methane detection technologies including Explicit's DFM Method at industry test sites. Functions as both a customer/partner and as an emerging in-house capability that could substitute external drone-based providers in the long term.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Explicit social profiles
Digital presenceExplicit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Explicit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Explicit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Explicit subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Explicit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Explicit 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 Explicit
What does Explicit do?
Explicit provides drone-based emissions monitoring services centered on its patented Drone Flux Measurement (DFM™) Method, which quantitatively measures fugitive greenhouse gases (methane, CO₂, N₂O) from industrial sites at site level. Its portfolio includes a Flare Efficiency Measurement service, a Maritime Solution for ship sulphur/NOx/methane compliance, and the E-Lab cloud platform for ISO/IEC 17025-compliant data delivery. Customers are primarily oil & gas operators, maritime regulators, and wastewater treatment plants.
Is Explicit a public or private company?
Explicit is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Explicit founded?
Explicit was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Explicit based?
Explicit is headquartered in Lyngby, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Explicit make money?
One revenue line is on record: emissions Monitoring Services.
Who are Explicit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GHGSat, SeekOps, Aeromon and Bridger Photonics. Emerging players are Carbon Mapper, Capterio, Kayrros and Sniffer Solutions. MethaneSAT (Environmental Defense Fund) is listed as a broad incumbent. TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiative (TADI) is listed as an others.
Does Explicit have an API?
No public API is recorded for Explicit.
What industry is Explicit in?
Explicit's product category is Drone-based Emissions Monitoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHADAB, Fugitive Emissions & Leak Detection (LDAR, OGI, Methane), with a secondary code of EUABACAF, Remote Sensing & Geospatial MRV (Satellite, Aerial, LiDAR, SAR). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.