Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development

What Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development does

Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, founded in 1975. It provides surveying, geographic information systems (GIS), and Earth Observation (EO) satellite data services across African markets, with stated applications in agriculture, environment, disaster management, urban planning, and infrastructure. The organization's stated core technology is the development of frameworks for local utilization of Earth Observation satellite data, intended to enable African institutions to deploy EO-based solutions for development planning and resource management.

RCMRD's business model is non-commercial in the conventional sense: pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with a model funded through grants, member-state contributions, and project-based contracts rather than standardized commercial pricing. Customer segments span multiple verticals, each treated as a discrete application area for EO data frameworks, with no primary segment designated. The organization partners with satellite operators and technology providers — most recently signing an MoU with Axelspace in October 2025 to co-develop EO-based solutions targeting social and developmental challenges — and positions itself around regional mandate and local capacity-building rather than product-led commercialization.

With 101–250 employees and nearly five decades of operating history, RCMRD functions as a regional technical hub rather than a venture-backed growth company. Strategic activity is best characterized as incremental capability expansion through partnerships and framework development rather than rapid scaling, new product launches, or capital-raise events. Key data gaps include revenue, funding history, management team composition, customer logos, geographic footprint specifics, and any explicit AI/ML capability disclosure.

Name

Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development

Website

https://rcmrd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RCMRD is a Nairobi-based non-profit, founded in 1975, that provides surveying, GIS, and Earth Observation satellite data services to African institutions across agriculture, environment, disaster management, urban planning, and infrastructure verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial and Earth Observation Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)

akta.pro primary industry

Mapping & Basemap Platforms (Tiles/SDKs) (BPAMANAB)

Keywords

• Earth observation services
• Geospatial data analytics
• GIS resource mapping
• Satellite data solutions
• Environmental monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Core offering

Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) is a nonprofit organization that provides surveying, GIS-based assessment of resources, and Earth Observation (EO) satellite data utilization frameworks. It applies these capabilities to support development planning across agriculture, environment, disaster management, urban planning, and infrastructure sectors, primarily across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agriculture Monitoring and Management Services Satellite-data-driven monitoring, planning, and management support for the agriculture sector, helping institutions track crops, land use, and agricultural conditions.
• Environmental Monitoring and Conservation Services Earth Observation-based monitoring of environmental conditions and conservation areas, supporting institutions in tracking ecosystem changes and natural resources.
• Disaster Response and Risk Management Services Satellite-based disaster monitoring, early warning, and response support services for institutions managing disaster risk across Africa.
• Urban Development and Planning Services Satellite imagery and geospatial analysis services supporting urban development planning, land use, and settlement monitoring for public-sector clients.
• Infrastructure Development and Monitoring Services Satellite-data-based infrastructure planning and monitoring services that help institutions assess and track infrastructure assets and development projects.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AxelspacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025Axelspace signed an MoU with RCMRD to develop solutions utilizing satellite data for social challenges. The partnership focuses on addressing issues in agriculture, environment, disaster management, urban planning, and infrastructure by deploying Earth Observation (EO) data locally. The collaboration involves developing frameworks for EO data utilization and creating new markets based on satellite technologies.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• AGRHYMET Regional Centre: CILSS-affiliated regional center in Niamey focused on agrometeorology, hydrology, and environmental monitoring across the Sahel — directly comparable to RCMRD as a West/Central African counterpart offering EO-based development services to member states.
• African Regional Institute for Geospatial Information Science and Technology (AFRIGIST): Intergovernmental institute under UN-ECA that delivers geospatial/GIS training and capacity-building across Africa — closely comparable to RCMRD's mandate, mandate scope, and target audience of African government professionals.
• UN-GGIM: Africa: UN initiative coordinating geospatial information management across African member states — comparable as a continental geospatial coordination body that RCMRD regularly interfaces with and partly competes against for policy influence.
• Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS): Tunis-based intergovernmental organization supporting environmental monitoring and water/resource management across the Sahara and Sahel using EO data — highly comparable to RCMRD's environment-sector vertical.
• Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE): Senegalese national EO and environmental monitoring center serving West Africa with satellite-based applications in agriculture, environment, and land use — a direct peer in mission, EO stack, and African regional focus.

Broad incumbents

• Hexagon Geospatial: Provider of geospatial software platforms (ERDAS, Luciad) used by national mapping agencies — broad incumbent supplying tools that compete with or complement RCMRD's analytics delivery.
• Trimble: Global supplier of surveying, mapping, and geospatial hardware/software used across infrastructure and land management — broad incumbent relevant to RCMRD's surveying and infrastructure monitoring vertical.
• Esri: Global leader in GIS software (ArcGIS) used by virtually every national mapping agency — broad incumbent whose platforms underpin much of RCMRD's analytical work, and a potential partner or substitute depending on deployment model.
• Maxar Technologies: Commercial satellite operator and geospatial analytics provider serving governments and defense customers — comparable as an upstream data supplier to RCMRD and a potential disintermediator of regional intermediaries.

Emerging players

• Planet Labs: High-revisit commercial Earth-imagery provider whose APIs increasingly enable direct government access — comparable as a satellite-data source and a structural threat to RCMRD's intermediary position.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rcmrd_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development