National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping

Name

National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping

Legal name

National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping

Website

https://ncalm.cive.uh.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airborne Lidar Mapping Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMANAM

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Maps, Location & Navigation Platforms

SECONDARYHDAHALAG

LiDAR & 3D Sensing Modules

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Semiconductors & Electronic Components/Sensors, MEMS & Optoelectronics

Keywords

• Airborne laser mapping
• Lidar data acquisition
• Topographic surveying
• Bathymetric mapping
• Geoscience research

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NSF Research Facility Funding: NCALM is funded primarily through NSF Division of Earth Sciences, Instrumentation and Facilities Program (grant EAR 2324629). The center provides research-grade airborne lidar data to NSF-funded PIs. Funding covers facility operations, equipment, and staff. The Seed Proposal Program is also NSF-supported. PIs request NCALM services in their NSF proposals.
2. NGA Geodesy Expansion Funding: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awarded up to $2.1 million over five years (first $500,000 approved) to enhance the GSES graduate program and expand geodetic education and research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NCALM provides research-grade airborne lidar observations and data acquisition services to the scientific community using state-of-the-art RIEGL and Optech laser surveying systems. The center operates core Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM) data collection, the Seed Proposal Program offering free lidar data to graduate students, and the NCALM NOW rapid response program for mapping extreme events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, and landslides.

Product overview

NCALM is a research center providing airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM) services for the scientific community. The center operates multiple RIEGL and Optech lidar instruments including the VQ-580 II-S, VUX-240, VQ-840-G (bathymetric), VQ-580 II, Optech Titan multi-wavelength system, and waveform digitizer. NCALM offers three primary programs: the core Airborne Laser Swath Mapping data acquisition service, the Seed Proposal Program providing up to 40 km² of lidar data for graduate student research, and the NCALM NOW rapid response program for emergency event mapping. Data is distributed through OpenTopography. NCALM is also partnered with the Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) graduate program at University of Houston for education and training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NCALM NOW: Rapid response program for quick mobilization to conduct high-resolution topographic surveys in response to extreme events such as fire, flood, earthquakes, or landslides.
• Seed Proposal Program

Products and services

• Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM)
• NCALM Seed Proposal Program
• NCALM NOW Rapid Response Program
• Geosensing Systems Engineering & Sciences (GSES) Graduate Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Height accuracy of less than 10 cm
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Italian Space AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Italian Space Agency collaborated with Pietro Milillo to deliver unprecedented satellite radar data on Antarctica glaciers. Published findings on Antarctic grounding line mapping using COSMO-SkyMed DInSAR data.
• University of Houston - Cullen College of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCALM is operated jointly with UH's Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering as the primary institution. The center is based at UH which provides facilities, staff, and equipment management. Craig Glennie serves as NCALM Director from UH.
• University of California, Berkeley - Department of Earth & Planetary SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCALM is operated jointly with UC Berkeley's Department of Earth & Planetary Science. William Dietrich serves as NCALM Co-Director. Berkeley contributes to data processing, analysis, and software development. Data archiving and distribution is handled through the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory.
• OpenTopographycoreTechnology or IntegrationOpenTopography serves as the primary data distribution platform for NCALM datasets. All high-resolution airborne lidar data collected by NCALM is published and made available through OpenTopography's portal for access by the scientific community.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Woolpert: Major U.S. architecture, engineering, and geospatial services firm with a substantial aerial LiDAR and surveying practice. Provides commercial airborne LiDAR data collection that competes with NCALM for non-grant work.
• Aerometrex: Australia-based aerial imaging and LiDAR mapping firm. Provides comparable commercial aerial LiDAR-derived 3D models and geospatial datasets for government and infrastructure clients in a regional market.
• Fugro: Global geospatial and survey firm with a substantial airborne LiDAR practice. Provides commercial aerial mapping at scale across multiple continents and competes for international airborne LiDAR contracts that NCALM also pursues via grants.
• NV5 Geospatial (formerly Quantum Spatial): Large U.S. commercial aerial LiDAR, remote sensing, and geospatial data services firm. Direct commercial competitor for airborne LiDAR acquisition contracts in the U.S. market.
• Bluesky International: U.K. and Ireland-based aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry company producing national-scale aerial mapping products. Closest European commercial peer for high-resolution aerial LiDAR datasets.

Others

• Teledyne Optech: Canadian LiDAR manufacturer of the Optech Titan multi-wavelength sensor and waveform digitizer used by NCALM. Functions as a technology enabler and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• RIEGL: Austrian manufacturer of airborne LiDAR sensors including the VQ-580 II-S, VUX-240, and VQ-840-G models used by NCALM. Not a competitor but a key enabling technology supplier whose product roadmap materially shapes NCALM's capabilities.

Direct peers

• UNAVCO / EarthScope Consortium: NSF-funded geoscience facility providing geodetic imaging support (GNSS, InSAR) to the scientific community. Operates a similar federally-funded research-facility model to NCALM and is explicitly named as a Steering Committee liaison to NCALM.
• OpenTopography: NSF-funded high-resolution topographic data repository that hosts and distributes NCALM datasets. Operates a complementary federally-funded model focused on data dissemination and access, directly tied to NCALM's output pipeline.
• USACE Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL): U.S. Army Corps of Engineers research lab that co-operates RIEGL VQ-580 II-S sensors with NCALM and conducts airborne LiDAR research. Closest federal research peer with comparable hardware and airborne LiDAR expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCALM_UH
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvnOxML6sFu9fluEzWDqetQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncalm
• Instagraminstagram.com/uhengineering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping