TerraDat UK
TerraDat UK is an independent Cardiff-based geophysical survey firm delivering non-invasive subsurface mapping — seismic, GPR, magnetic gradiometry, UAV LiDAR, and the proprietary SpiVolt dam monitoring system — to enterprise clients in engineering, environmental, energy, construction, heritage, and archaeology sectors across the UK, Spain, and Austria.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersCardiff, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TerraDat UK does
TerraDat (UK) Ltd. is an independent geophysical survey company founded in 1994 by Nick Russill and Dr. Rob McDonald, headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, with regional offices in Glasgow, Oviedo (Spain) and Imst (Austria). The firm delivers non-invasive subsurface mapping services — seismic refraction/reflection, MASW, microgravity, ground-penetrating radar, magnetic gradiometry, geoelectrical techniques, 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, and UAV-mounted LiDAR — to enterprise clients in engineering, environmental, energy, construction, water-utility, heritage, and archaeological sectors. Customers disclosed across public material include Arup, AtkinsRealis, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald, WSP, Arcadis, Tetra Tech, EDF, RWE, Shell, Infinis, Sellafield, Taylor Wimpey, Bam Nuttall, Constain, English Heritage, CADW, Welsh Water, Yorkshire Water, and Time Team, alongside academic partners at Cardiff, Swansea, and other universities.
The technology stack is anchored by specialist, partly-exclusive equipment: a Sensys Magneto MX eight-probe towed magnetic gradiometry array (sub-centimetre RTK positioning, up to 20 hectares/day, twice the resolution of walked surveys), a US-manufactured Bison EWG 'Thumper' seismic weight drop (350kg accelerated onto a UHMWPE plate, target depths up to 1km, reportedly unique in the UK), UAV-mounted LiDAR covering 7+ km² per flying day at 10–40mm absolute accuracy, and the proprietary SpiVolt self-potential monitoring system for dam leak detection, commercialised separately at spivolt.net. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 45001, Construction Line, SSIP, and UK Civil Aviation Authority Operator Authorisation credentials, which collectively function as procurement gatekeepers for UK construction and utility tenders. In-house heritage work is branded under the wholly-owned TerraDat Archaeological Geophysics sub-brand (silures.terradat.co.uk), and Dr. Jordan Mertes leads software development for rapid archaeological data processing and visualisation.
The business model is professional services, project-based, with quote-driven lump-sum pricing tied to survey area and complexity; deliverables are issued as CAD/GIS datasets. Revenue depends on enterprise and government tenders, with multi-year contracting cadence and recurring relationships with major UK engineering consultancies, utilities, and nuclear/heritage bodies. Geographic presence is anchored in the UK and extended into Spain and Austria to support EU-funded permafrost and Alpine monitoring programmes, including the PACE project partnership with Cardiff University. The company has remained independent and founder-controlled for approximately three decades, with no disclosed institutional capital, M&A, or external investment.
TerraDat UK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TerraDat UK
- Legal name
- TerraDat (UK) Ltd.
- Website
- https://terradat.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TerraDat UK is an independent Cardiff-based geophysical survey firm delivering non-invasive subsurface mapping — seismic, GPR, magnetic gradiometry, UAV LiDAR, and the proprietary SpiVolt dam monitoring system — to enterprise clients in engineering, environmental, energy, construction, heritage, and archaeology sectors across the UK, Spain, and Austria.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TerraDat UK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Geophysical Survey Services
- NAICS
- Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing) (IMAFAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM), Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring (Settlement, Inclinometers, Piezometers) (IMAFAOAH)
Keywords
Where TerraDat UK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cardiff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
TerraDat UK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Geophysical Survey Services: TerraDat provides professional geophysical survey services to clients across engineering, environmental, energy, construction, and archaeology sectors. Services are delivered through on-site survey work with custom pricing based on survey area and complexity. The company offers both day-rate survey services and project-based contracts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Survey services priced by project area |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
TerraDat UK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TerraDat (UK) Ltd. is an independent specialist geophysical survey company that delivers non-invasive subsurface mapping for engineering, environmental, energy, construction, and archaeological clients. Services combine seismic, ground-penetrating radar, magnetic gradiometry, microgravity, and geoelectrical techniques with aerial LiDAR, 3D laser scanning, and photogrammetry, supported by proprietary systems including the SpiVolt dam leak detection monitor and the UK-exclusive Bison EWG 'Thumper' seismic weight drop.
Product overview
TerraDat (UK) Ltd is a geophysical survey company offering subsurface mapping services using multiple techniques including seismic refraction/reflection, MASW, microgravity, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), magnetic surveys, and geoelectrical techniques. The company provides a portfolio of specialized services including Aerial LiDAR Survey & UAV Mapping, Archaeological Geophysics (via silures.terradat.co.uk sub-brand), 3D Reality Capture, and Climate Change Monitoring. TerraDat also offers proprietary products like SpiVolt (dam leak detection/monitoring system) and maintains specialized equipment including the Sensys Magneto MX magnetic gradiometry system and Bison EWG 'Thumper' seismic weight drop. Services span engineering, environmental, energy, and archaeological sectors, delivered from offices in Wales, Scotland, Spain, and Austria.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TerraDat Archaeological Geophysics: Specialist archaeological geophysics division offering magnetic gradiometry, GPR, resistivity surveys, drone-based LiDAR, photogrammetry, and 3D laser scanning for archaeological and heritage investigation projects.
- Spivolt
- GeoVoyager
Products and services
- Geophysical Survey Services Core service offering providing non-invasive subsurface mapping using multiple complementary geophysical techniques including seismic refraction and reflection, MASW, microgravity, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), magnetic surveys, Electrical Resistivity Tomography, and ground conductivity (EM). Delivers actionable subsurface data in standard CAD/GIS formats for engineering, environmental, energy, construction, and archaeological projects.
- SpiVolt Proprietary self-potential leak detection and monitoring solution for earth dams and reservoirs, developed by TerraDat. Identifies areas of water ingress or seepage in dam structures and is offered as a standalone product through its own product website.
- Archaeological Geophysics Services Specialist archaeological geophysics team delivering non-invasive archaeological site investigation for archaeologists, heritage bodies, planning authorities, and developers. Services include magnetic gradiometry, GPR, resistivity mapping, microgravimetry, and electromagnetic surveys for archaeological site investigation.
- Aerial LiDAR Survey and UAV Mapping Services UAV-mounted LiDAR capability covering in excess of 7 km² in a single flying day, producing dense 3D point clouds for Digital Terrain Models, Digital Surface Models, contours, and high-resolution orthomosaics with 10-40mm absolute positional accuracy using RTK or PPK GNSS workflows. Includes photogrammetry services with RGB and multispectral camera payloads, executed under CAA-approved commercial drone operations.
- 3D Reality Capture Heritage documentation service using 3D digital models created from laser scan surveys. Combines 3D point cloud datasets with oral history for heritage preservation and community engagement projects.
- Climate Change and Permafrost Monitoring Services Permafrost monitoring and climate change assessment services across European mountain regions. Includes repeated geophysical surveys of permanently-frozen layers in mountain regions from Svalbard to the Sierra Nevada to benchmark change over decades.
- Drone Magnetometry Services Drone-mounted magnetometer surveys using Geometrics G-858 caesium gradiometer and Sensys Magdrone technology, with radar altimetry for constant flight height of 1-2 metres above ground. Provides rapid archaeological mapping for areas where ground access is difficult or hazardous.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 hectares per day acquisition rate for magnetic gradiometry surveys
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use TerraDat UK
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
TerraDat UK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
TerraDat UK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Swansea University ArchaeoMargam TeamcoreTerraDat conducted geophysical survey at Margam Country Park collaborating with Swansea University's ArchaeoMargam team to reveal a substantial Roman villa structure using magnetic gradiometry and ground-penetrating radar.
- Swansea UniversitycorePartnership to produce the video 'Echoes of Copperopolis' and 3D digital model of Hafod-Morfa Copperworks heritage site. TerraDat had originally documented the site in 2014 for Swansea City Council, with data later re-imagined for the heritage project.
- Cardiff UniversitycoreTerraDat was an industrial partner in the PACE (Permafrost And Climate in Europe) Project coordinated by Cardiff University and funded by the EU. The project mapped and measured permanently-frozen layers across European mountains from Svalbard to the Sierra Nevada. TerraDat established characteristic geophysical properties of permafrost and designed survey strategies.
- Royal SocietycoreGeoVoyager project collaboration with Cowbridge School, made possible by a STEM Partnership Grant from The Royal Society, the oldest scientific institution in continuous existence since 1660. Nick Russill served as Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence at Exeter University.
- Cowbridge SchoolcoreGeoVoyager educational project creating an online 3D geological database for A-level Geology students, featuring digital exhibits of geological structures and fossils from Dunraven Bay.
- Christian HauckminorTerraDat returned to Sierra Nevada mountains with Christian Hauck to revisit PACE sites and benchmark how permafrost has changed over the past two decades.
- Hertford Castle Greenspace Renewal ProjectminorTerraDat conducted comprehensive archaeological geophysical survey at Hertford Castle in January 2025, commissioned for enabling work to identify subsurface archaeological features before planned site improvements.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TerraDat UK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TerraDat UK social profiles
Digital presenceTerraDat UK compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
TerraDat UK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TerraDat UK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
TerraDat UK subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
TerraDat UK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TerraDat UK 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 TerraDat UK
What does TerraDat UK do?
TerraDat (UK) Ltd. is an independent specialist geophysical survey company that delivers non-invasive subsurface mapping for engineering, environmental, energy, construction, and archaeological clients. Services combine seismic, ground-penetrating radar, magnetic gradiometry, microgravity, and geoelectrical techniques with aerial LiDAR, 3D laser scanning, and photogrammetry, supported by proprietary systems including the SpiVolt dam leak detection monitor and the UK-exclusive Bison EWG 'Thumper' seismic weight drop.
Is TerraDat UK a public or private company?
TerraDat UK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was TerraDat UK founded?
TerraDat UK was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TerraDat UK based?
TerraDat UK is headquartered in Cardiff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does TerraDat UK make money?
One revenue line is on record: geophysical Survey Services.
Does TerraDat UK have an API?
No public API is recorded for TerraDat UK.
What industry is TerraDat UK in?
TerraDat UK's product category is Geophysical Survey Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAOAG, Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing), with a secondary code of BPAMANAM, Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms. Its NAICS code is 54136 and its SIC code is 8731.