Aerial View Environment Planning

What Aerial View Environment Planning does

LUP – Luftbild Umwelt Planung GmbH is a Potsdam-based environmental monitoring and remote-sensing consultancy serving German federal, state, and municipal public administrations alongside supranational bodies. Founded circa 2003 (with operational roots extending to the mid-1990s), the firm has completed more than 400 projects across three integrated service lines: remote sensing, environmental management and landscape planning, and geoinformatics/geodata infrastructure. Its portfolio centers on free, nationwide satellite-monitoring platforms — notably ForestWatch (Sentinel-2 forest vitality, tree species, deadwood, and clearing analysis at 10m resolution) and UrbanGreenEye (annually updated climate adaptation indicators for all ~11,000 German municipalities) — alongside the Berlin-Brandenburg Planning Information System (PLIS) and a pipeline of EU and federal research projects including BirdWatch, RailVitaliTree, FeMoPhys, and EO4NATURE.

Underlying technology combines Sentinel-1/-2, Landsat, EnMAP, Planet-Scope, VHR aerial, and UAV/hyperspectral imagery with proprietary methods such as the Disease Water Stress Index (DWSI), a harmonic model with Kalman-filtered time series anomaly detection, UAV–satellite upscaling for deadwood and tree-species classification, and machine learning classifiers (CNNs, decision trees, regression trees). Algorithms are validated against ground-reference datasets and published in peer-reviewed journals including Forestry, ISPRS, and Environmental Management. LUP operates its own redundant server cluster in a Berlin data center hosting ForestWatch and PLIS.

The business model is B2G and project-based. Revenue derives from public procurement contracts and EU/federal research grants (Horizon Europe, mFUND/BMDV, BMEL, BMUV, Waldklimafonds), complemented by a hybrid freemium SaaS layer where ForestWatch and UrbanGreenEye are free for basic access and custom data integration is sold on a quote basis. Distribution occurs through direct engagement with ministries and agencies, public tenders, EU research consortia, and self-serve portal access. The company is privately held, founder/management-owned per the absence of external investment signals, and led by managing director Gregor Weyer.

Name

Aerial View Environment Planning

Legal name

LUP – Luftbild Umwelt Planung GmbH

Website

https://lup-umwelt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LUP is a Potsdam-based environmental remote-sensing consultancy serving German federal, state, and municipal governments. It operates the ForestWatch and UrbanGreenEye satellite-monitoring platforms, the Berlin-Brandenburg PLIS planning system, and a pipeline of EU and federal research projects in forestry, climate adaptation, and biodiversity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Remote Sensing Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

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), Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics) (EUAHAKAC), GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK), Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC), Environmental Reporting, Dashboards & Regulatory Submittals (Automated Reports, e-Reporting) (EUAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Remote sensing services
• Environmental consulting
• Satellite imagery analysis
• Landscape planning
• Geospatial data infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Potsdam

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Consulting and R&D Project Contracts: Core revenue from government contracts for environmental monitoring, landscape planning, and remote sensing projects with federal, state, and municipal administrations in Germany. Projects are procured via public tenders and EU research grant consortia. Revenue is project-based and non-recurring, though repeat engagements with long-standing government clients occur.
2. SaaS Data Portal Services (ForestWatch): ForestWatch platform is offered free for basic public access. Custom data integration services for third-party processes are available for a fee depending on scope. This represents a transition from purely consulting revenue toward a hybrid SaaS model.
3. Research Grants and Subsidized R&D: Significant portion of operations funded through EU (Horizon Europe), German federal (mFUND/BMDV, BMEL, BMUV, Waldklimafonds), and state research programs. These grants subsidize product development and platform infrastructure but are not commercial revenue in the traditional sense.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LUP provides satellite- and aerial-image-based environmental monitoring, landscape planning, and geoinformatics services for German public administrations. Core offerings include nationwide free SaaS portals (ForestWatch, UrbanGreenEye), spatial planning information systems (PLIS), and project-based consulting covering forest vitality, climate adaptation, biodiversity, soil moisture, and urban heat analysis.

Product overview

LUP (Luftbild Umwelt Planung) is an environmental monitoring and remote sensing company offering a portfolio of specialized products and services. The core offerings include ForestWatch (free nationwide forest vitality monitoring via Sentinel-2), UrbanGreenEye (cloud-based climate adaptation data portal), FeMoPhys (physiologically-founded forest monitoring research), and BirdWatch (Copernicus-based agricultural biodiversity service). Supporting products include PLIS (planning information system for Berlin-Brandenburg), RailVitaliTree (railway tree monitoring), EnergyMap Berlin (heat cadastre), EO4NATURE (environmental monitoring toolbox), InBoMo-Sentinel (soil moisture monitoring), and various specialized remote sensing services. The company also provides environmental management, landscape planning, and geoinformatics services primarily for German federal, state, and local administrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ForestWatch: A free nationwide forest vitality monitoring service for Germany based on Sentinel-2 satellite data, providing continuous monitoring of forest condition, standing deadwood, clearings, and tree species composition.
• UrbanGreenEye
• FeMoPhys

Quantifiable outcome

• Forest vitality monitoring at 10m Sentinel-2 resolution, validated across Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, and Nationalpark Harz with high content quality and spatial accuracy.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature11 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EO4NATURE Consortium (Multiple partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EO4NATURE (January 2025 – December 2027) develops a modular satellite-based environmental monitoring toolbox for the German Federal Government's ANK (Natural Climate Protection Action Program). LUP leads this project as part of the ANK toolbox development consortium.
• German Centre for Rail Transport Research (DZSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023DZSF leads the RailVitaliTree consortium (2023–2026, €1.4M funded by BMDV mFUND). LUP is responsible for satellite-based tree vitality analysis and risk modelling along railway corridors.
• Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023FAU is a consortium partner in RailVitaliTree, contributing dendroecological expertise and tree core sample analysis for validation of satellite-based vitality assessments.
• German Weather Service (DWD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023DWD contributes meteorological and hydroclimatic data and expertise to the RailVitaliTree project for drought risk modelling along railway corridors.
• EURAC Research (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023EURAC Research leads the BirdWatch consortium alongside LUP. EURAC contributes remote sensing and biodiversity monitoring expertise. Project funded by Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement 101082634, 36 months).
• Vito (Belgium)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Belgian research institute for technology and science contributes to BirdWatch, providing remote sensing and environmental monitoring capabilities.
• National Paying Agency (Lithuania) and Agro Digital Solutions (Lithuania)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023These Lithuanian partners provide agricultural administration perspective and digital farming solutions for CAP compliance monitoring within BirdWatch.
• University of PotsdamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023University of Potsdam participates in BirdWatch, contributing academic research on biodiversity indicators and farmland ecology.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam – Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022GFZ is a key consortium partner in the FeMoPhys project (2022–2027), contributing the research site at Demmin with its 45m tower crane and Section 1.4 Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics. GFZ's project leadership is held by Dr. Sibylle Itzerott. Collaboration involves forest monitoring methodology development combining ground-truth physiology with remote sensing.
• Technische Universität Berlin – Institut für Landschaftsarchitektur und UmweltplanungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022TU Berlin contributes the Fachgebiet für Geoinformation in der Umweltplanung to the FeMoPhys consortium. Also a key partner in the UrbanGreenEye project (TU Berlin – Urban Ecology Group) for building-resolving climate modelling using PALM-4U.
• Landesforst Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Forestry Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Operative unit for forest planning, research, and forest information systems participates in FeMoPhys. Contributes forestry domain expertise and field validation data for forest vitality models.
• Universität Greifswald – Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Institut für Botanik und LandschaftsökologiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Contributes landscape ecology and ecosystem dynamics expertise to the FeMoPhys consortium, specifically for the study area in the Wendeforst near Greifswald.
• Landesbetrieb Forst Brandenburg – Landeskompetenzzentrum Forst Eberswalde (LFE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022State forestry authority of Brandenburg contributes to FeMoPhys as consortium partner, providing forest management expertise and validation data from Brandenburg forest monitoring.
• Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) – Urban Ecology GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022TU Berlin is the key academic partner in UrbanGreenEye (2022–2024), contributing urban climate modelling using PALM-4U. Jointly funded by BMDV Copernicus services.
• City of Leipzig (UrbanGreenEye Pilot)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Leipzig serves as a key project partner providing municipal practice feedback and integration use cases for UrbanGreenEye climate adaptation indicators.
• Pilot Municipalities Hamburg, Duisburg, Potsdam, Stuttgart, Augsburg, and Gütersloh District (13 towns)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022These municipalities participate in UrbanGreenEye as pilot partners testing satellite-based climate adaptation parameter integration into municipal planning workflows and GIS systems.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam – Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ (InBoMo-Sentinel)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2014GFZ Sektion 1.4 Fernerkundung collaborated with LUP and TU Berlin on InBoMo-Sentinel (2014–2016), developing bio-indicator soil moisture monitoring using Sentinel satellites. Project co-financed by BMWi.
• Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BfG)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2014Federal Institute of Hydrology's Vegetation and Landscape Management section (Ref. U3) served as a project partner for InBoMo-Sentinel, providing water management domain expertise for soil moisture indicator validation.
• Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BfG) – Federal Institute of HydrologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013BfG collaborated with LUP and TU Berlin on MOBSTER project for vegetation analysis along federal waterways using RapidEye satellite imagery, supporting EU Water Framework Directive implementation.
• States of Berlin and Brandenburg (PLIS joint operation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLIS is jointly operated by the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. LUP conceived, technically realized, and continues to update and operate the system. This is the largest spatial planning information system in Germany, managed as government infrastructure.
• City of PotsdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing client and project partner for urban green volume monitoring (since 1992), integrated climate protection concept, and ongoing environmental monitoring. Relationship spans multiple decades and project cycles.
• Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIK led the consortium for the integrated climate protection concept for Potsdam and the 'Carbon Neutral Berlin 2050' feasibility study. LUP provided landscape planning and geodata management components in these consortia.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreTechnology or IntegrationLUP's platforms (ForestWatch, InBoMo-Sentinel, FeMoPhys) are built on ESA satellite data: Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-2's predecessor missions (Landsat). ESA freely provides satellite data used in all LUP monitoring services.
• Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIT collaborated with LUP on standing deadwood (Totholz) detection methodology. Drone-based reference data and upscaling algorithms were jointly developed and published in Schiefer et al. (2023).
• Thünen-Institut (German Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForestWatch uses the Thünen-Institut's tree species map (Waldatlas) as the basis for tree species classification across Germany. The map was derived from 2017–2018 Sentinel-1/-2 time series with 87% accuracy for pure stands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GAF AG: Munich-based provider of geospatial and earth observation services for European public administrations. Closely comparable to LUP in scope (remote sensing consulting, environmental mapping, EU-funded projects) and customer base (federal and EU institutional clients).
• EOMAP GmbH: German-Australian company specialising in satellite-based water quality and environmental monitoring. Comparable in applying remote sensing analytics to environmental compliance use cases for government and supranational clients.
• Brockmann Consult GmbH: Northern Germany-based environmental remote sensing consultancy and software house. Directly comparable in building Sentinel-era environmental analytics platforms for European public-sector and research clients.
• Remote Sensing Solutions (RSS): German provider of radar and multispectral remote sensing data processing services. Comparable in delivering applied EO analytics and custom algorithms for environmental and security-related public-sector projects.
• LiveEO: Berlin-based satellite analytics company focused on infrastructure and environmental monitoring for enterprises and governments. Comparable in using Sentinel and very-high-resolution imagery to deliver subscription environmental risk products.

Emerging players

• Sinergise (Sentinel Hub): Slovenian geospatial technology company operating the Sentinel Hub platform used for satellite image processing at scale. Comparable as a provider of EO data infrastructure and APIs that increasingly overlap with LUP's platform layer.
• EOX IT Services GmbH: Austrian company operating cloud-based geospatial data platforms (e.g., EOxCloud, Sentinel-2 cloudless). Comparable as a peer building open, scalable EO data services that overlap with LUP's platform offerings in the DACH region.

Broad incumbents

• Planet Labs: Global satellite imagery and analytics company with high-revisit Earth observation data. Comparable as an upstream data and analytics provider whose products can substitute for parts of LUP's ForestWatch and UrbanGreenEye pipelines.
• Esri Deutschland: German arm of the dominant GIS platform vendor. Comparable as a broader enterprise GIS incumbent into whose German government accounts LUP's PLIS and spatial planning data infrastructure integrate.

Regional players

• European Space Imaging (EUSI): Munich-based provider of very high-resolution satellite imagery (WorldView, etc.) and value-added services for the European market. Comparable as a competitor on VHR satellite processing for German public-sector environmental projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lup-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Aerial View Environment Planning