Laboratorio PRIAS, CeNAT

Name

Laboratorio PRIAS, CeNAT

Legal name

Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnología (CeNAT)

Website

https://prias.cenat.ac.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial Research and Earth Observation Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)

Keywords

• Earth observation services
• Geospatial research
• Remote sensing analysis
• Satellite image processing
• Environmental monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Pavas, San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Project Funding: Funding from international organizations (GEO, UN Habitat, UNDP, GIZ, GEF), government agencies (MINAE, MIVAH, MIDEPLAN), and academic institutions for specific research projects in earth observation, environmental monitoring, and geospatial analysis

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PRIAS is a geomatics and Earth Observation research laboratory that conducts cartographic and environmental studies for national and international decision-makers and public policymakers. It delivers geospatial analysis services, including satellite image processing, deforestation monitoring, land-use change surveillance, photogrammetry and 3D modeling, GNSS/geodetic positioning, spectral analysis, and spatial data infrastructure (GeoCenter). Services are delivered through funded research projects in partnership with government ministries, municipalities, academic institutions, and international organizations.

Product overview

Laboratorio PRIAS, CeNAT is a geospatial research laboratory (not a product company) with an emphasis on Earth Observation. It operates as a national liaison for scientific airborne missions and carries out cartographic and environmental studies. The laboratory's core offering consists of Earth observation research services including monitoring of land use and coverage change (MOCUPP), water quality studies (MONEO-WET), illegal logging monitoring (FAO-SEPAL), and sustainable cities initiatives. Supporting projects include the Creative Space web platform for geo-information sharing, the MAR-ECO marine ecology platform, and Copernicus Costa Rica initiatives. The laboratory's research areas span geodesy, spatial data infrastructure, GIS, computer science, photogrammetry, and airborne missions. The organization functions as a research institution rather than a commercial product vendor, with all services focused on national and international decision-making support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MOCUPP (Monitoring Land Use and Coverage Change within Production Landscapes) Earth observation-based methodology for monitoring land use and coverage change within productive landscapes in Costa Rica, generating digital layers for pineapple, palm, and grassland crops. Used by national policymakers and conservation organizations.
• MONEO-WET Study applying Sentinel-2, DESIS, and Landsat 8 satellite imagery to water quality analysis of water bodies adjacent to the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, supporting environmental monitoring of wetlands.
• FAO-SEPAL Pilot System Pilot digital system, developed with FAO-SEPAL, for monitoring illegal logging in the Golfo Dulce Forestry Reserve and Pacific side of La Amistad National Park using Earth observation tools.
• Earth Observations Toolkit for Sustainable Cities & Communities Toolbox for measurement and analysis of UN SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) using Earth Observations, co-developed with MINAE, MIVAH, INEC, GEO, UN Habitat, GIZ, and UNDP.
• Tackling Deforestation and Forest Degradation Project National project using Google Earth Engine to improve methodologies for detecting deforestation and forest degradation using satellite images for Costa Rica's continental territory.
• AVA-CR: Ecosystem Services in Green and Blue Spaces Pilot system of geospatial and in situ indicators to evaluate and quantify ecosystem services in urban green and blue spaces in coastal, metropolitan, and intermediate cities of Costa Rica.
• WetlandScan Project characterizing structural connectivity of coastal and continental lagoons in the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge using drone photogrammetric flights and landscape metrics.
• GeoAI Water Return Model Geospatial model analyzing water and geo-economic return from family water harvesting structures in Guanacaste's Dry Corridor by integrating satellite data and socioeconomic analysis.
• Fire Regime Analysis Project Applied research analyzing spatial behavior of forest fires in Costa Rica's tropical dry forest using multitemporal geospatial data and predictive models.
• Copernicus Costa Rica National geospatial knowledge architecture project developing a diagnostic on satellite data usage, identifying capabilities, actors, and gaps, delivered through interactive databases and dashboards under the Copernicus Academy national committee.
• Creative Space Web Platform Web application for sharing geo-information and aerospace applications creatively from Costa Rica, enabling users to explore, learn about, and share geospatial data.
• MAR-ECO Marine Ecology Platform Platform for sharing marine sightings that allows users to record sightings and discover where species are found in other parts of the world.

Quantifiable outcome

• MOCUPP project generated digital layers for pineapple (2017, 2018, 2019), palm (2018, 2019), and grassland (2018, 2019) production landscapes available in GeoExplora, SNIT, and UNBiodiversity Lab
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MINAE (Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Earth Observations Toolkit for Sustainable Cities & Communities initiative, supporting SDG 11 measurement and analysis using Earth Observations for national environmental policy.
• GEO (Group of Earth Observations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner supporting national capacity building in Earth Observations, including Google Earth Engine projects for deforestation monitoring and Earth Observations Toolkit development.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for Productive Landscapes project (GEF-funded) and FAO-SEPAL pilot system for monitoring illegal logging in Costa Rica.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Earth Observations Toolkit for Sustainable Cities & Communities initiative with focus on capacity building and technical support.
• UN HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-develops Earth Observations Toolkit for Sustainable Cities & Communities, integrating Earth Observations into UN SDG target reporting.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for SEPAL project developing pilot digital system for monitoring illegal logging in Golfo Dulce Forestry Reserve and La Amistad National Park.
• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on sustainable cities initiative and environmental research within the triple helix approach.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationUtilizes Google Earth Engine platform for satellite image processing and deforestation monitoring projects.
• SERVIRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration on earth observation applications for environmental monitoring and decision support.
• CONARE (Consejo Nacional de Rectores)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing institutional framework as part of the National Center of High Technology (CeNAT) network.
• INEC (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Sustainable Cities initiative for territorial statistics and national geospatial data integration.
• Stanford UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research collaboration partner in geospatial analysis and earth observation methodologies.
• University of British Columbia (UBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for geospatial research and environmental monitoring knowledge exchange.
• University of Queensland (UQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration on earth observation and geospatial analysis research.
• University of Costa Rica (UCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner including participation in Max Planck bat research project and various environmental studies.
• UNA (Universidad Nacional de Albania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosta Rican national university collaboration on biology and ecosystem research.
• Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on collective decision-making dynamics of cave-dwelling bat colonies using geospatial tracking.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization producing geospatial analyses for environmental and land-use policy, including the Global Forest Watch platform; comparable to PRIAS in using satellite imagery and remote sensing to support deforestation monitoring, sustainable cities indicators, and government decision-making in tropical regions.
• IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis): International research organization conducting systems analysis including land use, water, and climate modeling using geospatial methods; comparable to PRIAS in its academic-style research output, international funder base, and focus on environmental and sustainability research questions.
• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza): Regional agricultural research and higher-education center in Costa Rica conducting sustainable landscapes, watershed, and forestry research; PRIAS explicitly partners with CATIE and shares overlapping methodologies in geospatial analysis for environmental monitoring.
• CGIAR / Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT: International agricultural research consortium that uses geospatial analytics, satellite imagery, and crop monitoring to support food security and landscape management in developing countries; highly comparable to PRIAS's MOCUPP methodology for monitoring land use in productive landscapes.
• START (global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training): Global network facilitating Earth observation, climate, and environmental research capacity building in developing countries; comparable to PRIAS in targeting capacity building, knowledge transfer, and partnerships with developing-country researchers and institutions.
• SERVIR Global: A NASA-USAID joint initiative operating regional hubs that apply Earth observation and geospatial technologies to development challenges in developing countries; directly comparable to PRIAS in mission, methodology (satellite imagery, GIS), and target customer base (government agencies, NGOs, international organizations).

Broad incumbents

• Planet Labs PBC: Commercial Earth observation company operating the PlanetScope satellite constellation that PRIAS uses as a data source; Planet offers overlapping capabilities at much greater scale and serves government and commercial customers globally, representing a broader incumbent in the same Earth Observation data ecosystem.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): UN agency with which PRIAS partners on the SEPAL illegal logging monitoring project and productive landscapes initiatives; FAO operates much larger geospatial programs (e.g., SEPAL, Open Foris) and serves as both a partner and broader incumbent in Earth Observation for forestry and food security.

Regional players

• INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais): Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, a government-affiliated research institute that operates Earth observation satellites (e.g., Amazonia-1) and produces national-scale land use and deforestation analyses; comparable in mission, scale of national coverage, and public-sector affiliation, though operating in a different Latin American geography.
• CONAE (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales): Argentina's national space agency producing satellite imagery, geospatial products, and Earth observation research for government applications; a regional peer that shares the public-sector Earth Observation research model used by PRIAS but in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centro.nacional.de.alta.tecnologia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laboratorio-prias

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Laboratorio PRIAS, CeNAT