Tensor Research

What Tensor Research does

Tensor Research is an Australian private software company specialising in 3D potential-field geophysical modelling for the global exploration industry. Its flagship product, ModelVision, is a Windows desktop application for interactive and inverse modelling of magnetic and gravity data, continuously developed since 1994 and now in its 18th major release (v18.0, April 2025). The platform serves mineral exploration (primary), diamond, petroleum, environmental and engineering geophysics, with named users including BHP and De Beers. Core capabilities include a proprietary TMI-to-magnetic gradient tensor transformation, remanence detection (REMCAL/ARRA), the AutoMag and QuickDepth automated depth-estimation modules, integration with UBC MAG3D/GRAV3D inversion, and interchange with OASIS montaj, Intrepid, and Datamine Discover.

Revenue is generated through three streams: perpetual ModelVision licences with optional add-on modules (Depth Module, UBC Model Builder), recurring annual Support and Updates subscriptions that fund ongoing R&D, and professional services including the AI-driven RPD Mapping service and custom software development. Go-to-market is sales-led from the Sydney headquarters, supplemented by an international reseller network selected for geophysical modelling expertise (e.g., Hernan Ugalde in Eastern Canada and South America), with active presence at conferences such as AEGC and SAGA. Marketing leverages a thought-leadership content engine via the Magnetic Mentor series in ASEG Preview, YouTube tutorials, and newsletters.

Name

Tensor Research

Legal name

Tensor Research Pty Ltd

Website

https://tensor-research.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tensor Research develops ModelVision, a Windows-based 3D geophysical modelling platform for magnetic and gravity data, serving global mineral, diamond, and petroleum exploration customers from its Sydney headquarters through direct sales and an international reseller network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geophysical Software

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seismic & Geoscience Services (Acquisition, Processing, Interpretation) (EUALABAK), Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

Keywords

• Geophysical modelling software
• Magnetic data interpretation
• Gravity data inversion
• Mineral exploration software
• Potential field analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenwich

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licencing (ModelVision): ModelVision sold as perpetual licence with annual Support and Updates (S&U) service. The S&U payment funds new feature development, improvement of existing features, and technical support. Separate modules (Depth Module, UBC Model Builder) available as optional add-ons.
2. Annual Support & Updates Subscription: Annual recurring revenue from Support and Updates payments, allocated to ongoing development of new features, improvements, and support services for existing licence holders.
3. RPD Mapping Service: Advanced rock property and depth mapping service — a new service offering under development — providing continuous mapping of magnetic properties, depth, and large-scale geological models for clients. Offered as a consulting/research engagement.
4. Custom Software Development: Custom software development to create extensions for ModelVision specific to commodities or repetitive investigations. QuickDepth and UBC Model Builder were developed collaboratively with clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tensor Research develops and supports ModelVision, a Windows desktop geophysical modelling application for forward and inverse 3D interpretation of magnetic and gravity potential field data, used by geophysicists in mineral, diamond, petroleum, environmental, and engineering exploration. The core platform is sold as a perpetual licence with an annual Support and Updates subscription, paired with optional add-on modules (Depth Module including AutoMag and QuickDepth, and UBC Model Builder) and AI-driven consulting services such as RPD Mapping that produce large-scale rock property and depth models.

Product overview

Tensor Research develops the ModelVision software platform — a total potential fields modelling application for magnetic and gravity interpretation used globally by geophysicists. The core ModelVision platform is offered alongside optional modules: the Depth Module (including AutoMag for automated depth interpretation and QuickDepth for rapid anomaly-specific estimation), and the UBC Model Builder for UBC inversion mesh generation. The company also provides RPD Mapping as a managed service applying AI methods to produce large-scale rock property and depth models. Educational content is delivered through the Magnetic Mentor series. Licence management is handled via the Licence Manager desktop tool. The portfolio spans desktop software, cloud-based documentation/AI assistance, and professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ModelVision: Flagship software application providing solutions for 3D potential field problems in magnetic and gravity data interpretation. Used in mineral exploration, diamond exploration, petroleum exploration, environmental geophysics, engineering, unexploded ordnance detection, and underground hazard assessment.
• Depth Module
• AutoMag
• QuickDepth
• RPD Mapping
• RockMod
• ModelVision Assistant

Products and services

• ModelVision Total potential fields modelling application providing a complete 3D interpretation environment for magnetic and gravity data across mineral, diamond, petroleum, environmental, engineering, unexploded ordnance, and underground hazard assessment use cases. Supports forward and inverse modelling, multi-line inversion, terrain corrections, remanence modelling, demagnetisation simulation, 3D visualisation, and integration with OASIS montaj, Intrepid, Datamine Discover, and UBC inversion programs.
• RPD Mapping Service Professional consulting service using AI methods to build large-scale, geologically constrained magnetic models from full tensor or conventional TMI survey data. Produces continuous depth, susceptibility, remanence, dimensionality, and structural index outputs usable in ModelVision, GIS, and other geophysical mapping software. Over 250,000 km of RPD Mapping has been completed across multiple continents.
• Geophysical Consulting and Custom Software Development Custom software development and consulting engagements delivered by Tensor Research to extend ModelVision for commodity-specific or repetitive investigation workflows. Past engagements include collaborative development of QuickDepth and the UBC Model Builder modules with mineral exploration clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250,000 km of RPD Mapping completed across multiple continents, validated against full tensor survey data.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and minor.

• BHP (Invent Division)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTensor Research collaborated with BHP's Invent division on research presented at AEGC 2025. Dave Pratt and Jared Townsend co-presented a paper on 'Large scale magnetic gradient tensor surveys from TMI data', demonstrating the application of the TMI-to-tensor transformation to BHP survey data.
• De BeerskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Beers worked with Tensor Research to develop methods for extracting geological detail, depth, susceptibility and remanence properties from magnetic tensor data acquired by their acquisition system. This collaboration evolved into the RPD Mapping service.
• Cloncurry District Research PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock Property and Depth Mapping research applied to the Cloncurry District in Queensland with collaboration involving James Austin and Clive Foss (CSIRO). Results published at 2021 AEGC.
• Hernan Ugalde (Agent)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHernan Ugalde serves as Tensor Research's agent in Eastern Canada and South America, providing native language support to South American geophysicists and local sales/support assistance.
• CSIROkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIRO collaborated on the Geomagnetophilia initiative presenting case studies from the Australian Remanent Anomalies Database (ARAD). Dr Clive Foss from CSIRO co-authored papers with Tensor Research. Also collaborated on the book 'Exploration Magnetics Theory and Practice'.
• UBC (University of British Columbia)coreTechnology or IntegrationUBC Model Builder developed collaboratively with clients for integration with UBC MAG3D and GRAV3D inversion programs. ModelVision supports export of mesh files for UBC inversion and import of results back into ModelVision.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SLB (Schlumberger): SLB is a global oilfield services incumbent whose exploration software portfolio (Petrel, Omega) overlaps with ModelVision's petroleum exploration use cases (gravity modelling, basement architecture). A larger player with much broader scope and deeper enterprise relationships.
• CGG: CGG is a global geoscience major whose former Geosoft subsidiary historically competed in potential-field interpretation software (now part of Seequent). Broadly comparable as a geoscience services and software incumbent serving exploration customers.
• Emerson E&P Software (formerly Paradigm): Emerson's E&P software portfolio (formerly Paradigm, including SKUA-GOCAD) competes in 3D geological and reservoir modelling for petroleum exploration. Overlaps with ModelVision on gravity/magnetic interpretation and subsurface modelling, but within a much broader enterprise suite.

Others

• CSIRO: CSIRO is Australia's national science agency and a research collaborator on Tensor Research's Geomagnetophilia initiative and Australian Remanent Anomalies Database. Not a direct competitor but a peer institution in applied geophysical R&D with overlapping scientific output and publications.
• UBC Geophysical Inversion Facility: UBC-GIF develops MAG3D and GRAV3D 3D inversion codes that Tensor Research integrates with via the UBC Model Builder module. It is an enabling/technology partner rather than a competitor; provides the inversion algorithms that complement ModelVision's forward modelling.

Direct peers

• Intrepid Geophysics: Intrepid is a geophysical data processing and interpretation platform integrated with ModelVision for data interchange. It targets similar geoscientists in mining and exploration with overlapping potential-field processing, gridding, and visualisation functionality.
• Seequent (Leapfrog, Oasis montaj, Geosoft): Seequent is the dominant competitor in geoscience interpretation software for mining and exploration, with Leapfrog (3D geological modelling), Oasis montaj (potential fields/geophysics), and Geosoft. Direct overlap with Tensor Research in magnetic and gravity interpretation for mineral exploration.
• Mira Geoscience: Mira Geoscience provides 3D geological and geophysical modelling software (VP Suite, GOCAD/SKUA) targeting the same mineral exploration and mining customers as Tensor Research, with overlapping capabilities in potential field interpretation and inversion workflows.
• Petrosys: Petrosys is an Australian-headquartered geoscience data management, mapping, and surface modelling software provider serving oil & gas and mining E&P customers. Comparable as a regionally anchored niche E&P/geoscience software vendor with overlapping geoscience workflows.
• Datamine: Datamine provides mining software including geological modelling (Discover PA) that the Tensor Research team previously contributed to. Competes in the same geological/geophysical workflow for resource companies and integrates via EGB sidecar files.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tensor-research
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tensor-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Tensor Research