BSF Swissphoto

What BSF Swissphoto does

BSF Swissphoto AG is a privately-held Swiss-German airborne geodata services company with 40 employees operating from offices in Zürich (Switzerland), Schönefeld near Berlin (Germany), and Zagreb (Croatia). The company acquires aerial images, oblique images, thermal images, and laser (LiDAR) point cloud data using a fleet of three company-owned, certified Cessna aircraft (C206, C208, C208 Grand Caravan) equipped with state-of-the-art sensors including RIEGL VQ-1560II-S and VQ-780II-S laser scanners, PhaseOne iXM-RS150F, Vexcel UltraCam Eagle M1/M3, and Trimble cameras. Its primary customers are European national and municipal mapping agencies, infrastructure owners (airports, ports, waterways), and environmental and disaster-response agencies; complementary government consulting is delivered to clients in the Caribbean and Latin America in land administration and cadastre.

The company's core technical stack converts raw aerial imagery and LiDAR into derived geospatial products: digital orthophotos, true orthophotos (with building lean correction), digital elevation models, and textured 3D meshes at BIM-compatible LoD100-400. Data processing uses image data processing, aerial triangulation, point cloud classification, and dense matching surface-model generation. Flight operations are conducted under an EASA Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and a specialized flight operations approval under EU Regulation 965/2012 Annex VIII, and flights are marketed as CO2-neutral via offsetting of remaining emissions. In 2024-2025 the company added drone-based LiDAR capability through a Swiss-Austrian consortium with Dufour Aerospace and RIEGL.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services contracts sold direct to government agencies, with a multi-year billing cadence on large engagements. Notable contracts include 200,000 km² of LiDAR coverage for Finland's Maanmittauslaitos over 10 years, full-country Danish LiDAR (46,722 km², 2019-2023), recurring annual coverage of the Netherlands for water authority monitoring, and yearly LiDAR acquisition for Belgium's Scheldt estuary. Pricing is quote-based against project area, sensor requirements, and data specifications rather than disclosed unit pricing.

Name

BSF Swissphoto

Legal name

BSF Swissphoto AG

Website

https://bsf-swissphoto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BSF Swissphoto is a Swiss-German airborne geodata services provider operating three certified Cessna aircraft to deliver aerial photography, LiDAR scanning, and 3D data processing to national mapping agencies, municipal governments, and infrastructure operators across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Regensdorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Airborne Data Acquisition Services: Project-based services acquiring aerial images, oblique images, thermal images and laser data. Revenue generated through aerial photography missions, airborne laser scanning, and airplane charter services.
2. Data Processing and Product Generation: Processing and enhancing customer geodata to produce orthophotos, true orthophotos, 3D meshes, elevation models, and BIM-ready 3D models. Value-added processing services.
3. Government Consulting Services: Consulting mandates for governments worldwide in GIS, photogrammetry, remote sensing, geodesy, engineering surveying, cadastre, land use and land registration. Includes technical training and project management support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BSF Swissphoto is an airborne geodata service provider that acquires aerial images, oblique images, thermal images, and laser data using a fleet of three certified Cessna aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art sensors from RIEGL, PhaseOne, Vexcel, and Trimble. It processes this raw data into digital orthophotos, true orthophotos, 3D meshes, and elevation models, and complements these with airplane charter, disaster mapping, and government consulting in land administration and cadaster worldwide.

Product overview

BSF Swissphoto is a Swiss-German geodata service provider operating a fleet of three Cessna aircraft (C206, C208, C208 Grand Caravan) for airborne surveying. The core offering combines Aerial Photography (using PhaseOne, Vexcel UltraCam, and Trimble cameras) and Airborne Laserscanning (using RIEGL VQ-1560II-S, VQ-780II-S, and Trimble AX60 systems) to acquire raw aerial images, oblique images, thermal images, and laser point cloud data. This raw data feeds the Data Processing service to produce Digital Orthophotos, True Orthophotos, Digital Elevation Models, and Textured 3D Mesh models. Complementary services include Airplane Charter (with optional sensor equipment), Disaster Mapping for emergency response, and Government Consulting for land administration. Recent innovation includes drone-based LiDAR scanning through partnerships with Dufour Aerospace and RIEGL. The company maintains 40 employees across three European offices (Zurich, Berlin, Zagreb) and operates CO2-neutral flights under AOC certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerial Photography Acquisition of high-resolution vertical and oblique aerial images using PhaseOne iXM-RS150F, Vexcel UltraCam Eagle M1/M3, Trimble IQ180, AIC PRO P25+, and Vexcel UltraCam X digital cameras mounted on company aircraft. Produces foundational image data for orthophotos, 3D meshes, and Building Information Modeling applications, sold to government mapping agencies, municipalities, and infrastructure operators.
• Airborne Laserscanning Acquisition of high-density LiDAR point clouds using RIEGL VQ-1560II-S, VQ-780II-S, and Trimble AX60 airborne laser scanners, achieving up to 8+ points/m² density and 5 cm elevation accuracy. Produces georeferenced, classified point clouds used for digital terrain models, surface models, 3D city models, and change analysis, sold primarily to national mapping authorities and infrastructure operators.
• Data Processing Processing and enhancement of raw geodata including image data processing, aerial triangulation, orthophoto production, point cloud classification, elevation model generation, and textured 3D mesh creation with BIM software in LoD100-400. Sold to government agencies, municipalities, and infrastructure operators requiring ready-to-use geospatial products.
• Airplane Charter Charter of certified company aircraft (Cessna C206, C208, C208 Grand Caravan) with optional sensor equipment including laser scanners and aerial cameras, marketed to enterprises and government agencies for aerial survey missions.
• Consulting Services Expert consulting in GIS, photogrammetry, remote sensing, geodesy, engineering surveying, cadastre, and land registration. Delivered to governments worldwide with technical specifications, QA/QC, bid evaluation, and local surveyor training for LIDAR and geodata projects, with examples including a Jamaica 2017-2021 mandate and Colombia operations.
• Disaster Mapping Emergency aerial mapping service with fast mobilization capabilities for damage assessment, orthophoto creation, elevation model generation, and data analysis. Sold to civil protection agencies, emergency responders, and disaster management organizations requiring rapid aerial mapping capabilities with a dedicated 24/7 havarie emergency contact line.
• Drone-based LiDAR Scanning (Dufour Aerospace Partnership) New drone-based LiDAR data collection capability enabled through partnership with Dufour Aerospace (AeroMini tilt-wing drone) and RIEGL (VUX-120-23 Lidar sensor), offering autonomous large-area data acquisition as an alternative to traditional crewed aircraft and expanding BSF Swissphoto's airborne acquisition services into lower-impact, drone-based operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000 km² mapped in 10 years for Finnish client alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RiCOPTER UAV GmbH (RIEGL Group)coreTechnology or Integration · 18 February 2025RIEGL group company managing UAV LiDAR sensor distribution and integration. Partnered in functional tests of VUX-120-23 Lidar system on Dufour AeroMini10 drone platform.
• Dufour AerospacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2024Swiss-Austrian consortium for testing large-area laser scanning applications using innovative drones in the Swiss Alps. Dufour Aerospace provides AeroMini and Aero2 UAS platforms. BSF Swissphoto contributes to data validation and commercial relevance assessment of drone-based technology for autonomous large-area aerial geo data acquisition.
• RIEGLcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 February 2024Austrian manufacturer of laser measurement systems providing laser scanners (VQ-1560II-S, VQ-780II-S, VUX-120-23) and integration support. Part of Swiss-Austrian consortium for drone-based LiDAR testing. Also provides sensors for BSF Swissphoto's crewed aircraft operations.
• WSL-Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2024Swiss Federal Research Institute ensuring data quality meets requirements for alpine environmental hazards research. Part of Swiss-Austrian consortium providing applied science use cases and experienced personnel for field tests.
• Fondation The ArkminorOthers · 28 February 2024Swiss foundation supporting the Swiss-Austrian drone consortium project for alpine laser scanning applications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fugro: Global geoservices major with a substantial aerial survey and LiDAR mapping practice serving government and infrastructure clients worldwide. Most comparable as a competitor for national-scale aerial surveying tenders; materially larger and more diversified than BSF Swissphoto.
• Hexagon (Leica Geosystems): Global geospatial technology major providing airborne sensors (Leica), processing software, and increasingly managed survey services. Competes with BSF both as a sensor/superior-software supplier alternative and as a service provider on large aerial mapping tenders.

Direct peers

• NV5 Global (formerly Quantum Spatial): US-headquartered aerial surveying and geospatial services firm acquired by NV5 Global, providing LiDAR, photogrammetry, orthophotos, and derived mapping products to federal, state, and infrastructure clients. Closest comparable in business model to BSF Swissphoto — project-based aerial acquisition and processing for government mapping.
• Woolpert: US-based architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and aerial survey firm offering airborne LiDAR, imagery, and derived mapping products to public-sector and infrastructure clients. Direct competitor for large-area aerial mapping mandates and adjacent to BSF in customer mix and service stack.
• Surdex Corporation: Mid-sized US aerial surveying firm operating its own aircraft and sensors for LiDAR and orthophoto production serving federal, state and municipal mapping agencies. Direct peer in business model (owned fleet, government clients, photogrammetry + LiDAR).
• Aero-Graphics: US-based aerial survey firm providing photogrammetric and LiDAR mapping for government, engineering, and infrastructure clients. Comparable to BSF in owned-fleet operation, end-to-end acquisition-to-product service stack, and public-sector customer profile.
• Merrick & Company: US geospatial and engineering services firm operating its own LiDAR and aerial imagery acquisition capability, serving federal, state, and international mapping clients. Comparable in offering full-service aerial mapping plus derived engineering products.

Regional players

• Bluesky International: UK-based aerial survey and LiDAR firm producing national orthophoto and elevation datasets primarily for British, Irish, and selected international public-sector clients. Comparable in aerial surveying offering and government customer focus; primarily a different European geography than BSF's DACH focus.

Others

• Trimble Applanix / Trimble Geospatial: Global geospatial technology major that supplies sensors BSF uses (AX60, IQ180, AIC PRO) and competes via Trimble Geospatial software and partner ecosystem in aerial mapping workflows. Adjacent supplier-competitor dynamic — BSF depends on Trimble hardware but Trimble's ecosystem also enables competing service offerings.

Emerging players

• senseFly (Parrot Group): Swiss-based drone manufacturer producing fixed-wing eBee mapping UAS used by surveyors globally for photogrammetry and LiDAR mapping. Relevant as a competitive emerging technology path that could substitute traditional crewed aircraft-based surveying — and as a Swiss-headquartered peer in the regional innovation ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bsf-swissphoto
• Instagraminstagram.com/bsf_swissphoto

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BSF Swissphoto