Aerial Information Systems

What Aerial Information Systems does

Aerial Information Systems (AIS) is a privately held, minority-woman-owned small GIS production company founded in 1974 by University of California, Riverside graduate students, originally as Area Information Systems. AIS produces standardized geospatial databases for government environmental agencies, municipal governments, federal conservation agencies, and regional watershed organizations. Its core services include statewide and project-scale land use/land cover (LU/LC) mapping, impervious surface assessment, fine-scale vegetation mapping compliant with the National Vegetation Classification System, hydrologic layer creation, general plan and streets data layers, agricultural land use inventories, and change detection analyses.

The technology foundation is built on Esri GIS software combined with color infrared (CIR) digital imagery, computer interactive photo interpretation, heads-up digitizing, and custom .NET tools developed in-house for land use/land cover and impervious surface data analysis and polygon attribute revision. AIS applies standardized classification frameworks including the Anderson Level II/III system for land use/land cover and the National Vegetation Classification System for vegetation mapping, with field verification and accuracy assessment built into project workflows. The firm was an early collaborator with Esri in developing the foundational backbone of modern GIS.

AIS operates a project-based professional services revenue model through direct contracting with government agencies via RFPs and direct procurement, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The company is headquartered at 112 N 1st St, Redlands, California, operates with a 1-10 person staff averaging over 15 years of GIS project experience, and has no disclosed external funding, M&A activity, or institutional investment.

Name

Aerial Information Systems

Legal name

Aerial Information Systems

Website

https://aisgis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aerial Information Systems is a privately held GIS production firm founded in 1974, serving state and federal environmental agencies, municipal governments, and watershed organizations with land use, vegetation, hydrologic, and impervious surface mapping built on Esri software and aerial photo interpretation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

GIS Mapping and Geospatial Database Services

NAICS

Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)

Keywords

• GIS database services
• Land use mapping
• Vegetation mapping
• Aerial photo interpretation
• Environmental GIS

Headquarters

HQ city

Redlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. GIS Database Services: Project-based professional services providing GIS database creation, updates, and maintenance for government agencies. Services include aerial photo interpretation, vegetation inventory, land use mapping, and field verification for environmental and urban planning applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Aerial Information Systems (AIS) is a GIS production company that creates, updates, and maintains geospatial databases for government agencies and environmental organizations. The company specializes in land use/land cover mapping, vegetation mapping, impervious surface assessment, aerial photo interpretation, and field verification using Esri GIS software and color infrared digital imagery. AIS delivers standardized GIS datasets for environmental planning, urban planning, conservation management, and regulatory compliance applications.

Product overview

Aerial Information Systems is a full-service GIS production company offering a comprehensive portfolio of geospatial data services. The company provides multidisciplinary GIS databases for environmental and urban planning applications, including vegetation mapping, land use/land cover mapping, general plan/zoning, parcel mapping, utilities mapping, and field verification services. The core offering consists of specialized mapping projects (California Vegetation, New Jersey Land Use, Rancho Mirage General Plan, San Jacinto Land Use) supported by foundational services like aerial photo interpretation, GIS database design, application development, and accuracy assessment. All services leverage industry-standard tools including Esri GIS software and are delivered through computer interactive photo interpretation techniques and field verification processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Vegetation Mapping Fine-scale vegetation mapping service for high-priority conservation and management areas in California, compliant with the National Vegetation Classification System. Covers areas including Sierra Nevada Foothills, Point Reyes, Yosemite NP, Pinnacles NP, Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Channel Islands NP, Western Riverside County, and Desert Vegetation areas. Targets government agencies and environmental organizations requiring standardized vegetation classification.
• New Jersey Land Use and Land Cover Mapping Statewide land use/land cover (LU/LC) and impervious surface (IS) dataset creation and periodic updates for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), using Anderson Level classifications and color infrared digital imagery. Includes hydrologic layer creation with coding that exceeds USGS NHD guidelines, designed for incorporation into USGS National Hydrologic Dataset.
• San Jacinto Watershed Land Use Inventory Agricultural and comprehensive land use mapping for the San Jacinto River watershed, supporting water quality and TMDL compliance objectives. Uses NAIP aerial imagery and field verification, with multiple project iterations in 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2014 funded by WRCAC and SJRWC.
• Rancho Mirage General Plan Mapping Creation and updating of general plan data layers, streets data layers, vacant/developed land layers, and neighborhood maps for the City of Rancho Mirage. Based on SCAG Regional Land Use data and yearly aerial photography photo interpretation. Maps appear in the City's environmental documents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Statewide LU/LC datasets maintained and updated for New Jersey across multiple decades (1980s-2012) using standardized Anderson classification
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• California Native Plant Society (CNPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in creating standardized fine-scale vegetation maps for California conservation areas. Partner in National Vegetation Classification System mapping efforts.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner for vegetation mapping across California. Maps and reports for many vegetation projects available on CDFW website.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for vegetation mapping in National Parks including Yosemite, Point Reyes, Pinnacles, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Channel Islands, and Santa Monica Mountains NRA.
• EsricoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing technology partner. AIS worked closely with Esri in early years developing the backbone of what is now called GIS. Uses Esri GIS software for all mapping projects.
• Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning partner. AIS created vacant/developed land data layer for City of Rancho Mirage based on SCAG Regional Land Use data.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Direct peers

• Woolpert: National architecture, engineering, geospatial, and consulting firm offering aerial mapping, GIS, and remote sensing to government and commercial clients. Comparable in service mix and customer overlap with AIS.
• Aerial Services Inc. Iowa-based firm providing aerial photography acquisition, GIS data production, and remote sensing services for federal, state, and local government clients. Highly comparable in scope, customer base, and delivery model to AIS.
• Sanborn: Well-established GIS and aerial mapping firm delivering geospatial data, LiDAR, and software solutions primarily to government clients. Closely matches AIS's government-focused land use and environmental mapping work.
• NV5 Geospatial: Geospatial analytics provider (formerly Quantum Spatial) specializing in aerial imagery, LiDAR, and remote sensing for environmental and infrastructure projects. Direct overlap with AIS's core land cover and vegetation mapping capabilities.
• Merrick & Company: Engineering and geospatial services firm providing surveying, GIS, and remote sensing solutions to government and commercial clients. Comparable in service portfolio and government customer base.

Broad incumbents

• EagleView: Large-scale aerial imagery and analytics provider, originally focused on roof/property data but expanding into government and environmental use cases. Operates broader portfolio and at greater scale than AIS.
• Maxar Technologies: Global satellite and aerial imagery provider offering geospatial analytics at enterprise scale. Adjacent to AIS's work but operates much larger infrastructure and broader commercial/government portfolio.
• Tetra Tech: Large environmental and engineering consulting firm with significant GIS and remote sensing capabilities serving federal and state agencies. Overlaps with AIS on environmental planning and government contracts, but at much greater scale.
• Stantec: Global engineering, environmental, and geomatics consultancy with GIS-based mapping offerings to municipal and state clients. Comparable in serving the same government planning customers, but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Others

• Esri: Long-standing technology partner of AIS and the dominant GIS software platform used across AIS's projects. Not a direct competitor for mapping services, but its partner ecosystem and professional services arm compete for adjacent government GIS work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aerial-information-systems-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Aerial Information Systems