GeoTropics LLC

What GeoTropics LLC does

GeoTropics LLC is a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm founded in 2015 by Nicolas Clarens that delivers drone-based geospatial data collection, GIS analysis, and custom mobile/web application development to international development projects across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. The firm operates three integrated service lines — Drone Services (fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAVs carrying cameras and sensors for aerial imaging, orthophotos, and elevation models), Data Collection Services (combining remote sensing with mobile-app, telephone, and door-to-door surveys for socioeconomic and population datasets), and App & Web Design (native iOS/Android apps, web applications, and data visualization dashboards). Technology differentiation rests on centimeter-grade drone imagery (2cm-5cm resolution versus 35cm-70cm for typical satellite sources) and integrated multi-method data collection, enabling projects such as a 3,000+ home census in Cap Haitian, a 1,300-hectare topographic study in Guyana, and a 246-hectare landfill survey in the Dominican Republic.

The business model is project-based professional services revenue, acquired via direct relationships with development finance institutions (Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank), multilateral organizations (IOM, Welthungerhilfe), and government ministries (DINEPA, CNIGS, MENFP, FAES, DPC in Haiti; counterparts in the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Uruguay). GeoTropics markets primarily through a project portfolio website, LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram presence, and referral-based outreach rather than outbound sales or paid channels. The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and a small team of approximately 1-10 employees, indicating an owner-operated consultancy whose growth is constrained by founder bandwidth and donor project cycles rather than by capital availability.

Name

GeoTropics LLC

Legal name

GeoTropics LLC

Website

https://geotropics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GeoTropics LLC is a Washington, D.C.-based drone, GIS, and data-collection consulting firm founded in 2015, serving international development organizations, multilateral bodies, and government ministries in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Uruguay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial Consulting Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK), Remote Sensing & Geospatial Vision (satellite/drone imagery) (HDAAAEAL), Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics) (EUAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Drone mapping services
• GIS consulting
• Geospatial data collection
• Aerial survey services
• International development consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Drone Services: Provides drone services including aerial imaging, videography, and mapping using fixed-wing and multi-rotor drone fleet. Services are project-based for international development clients.
2. GIS Consulting Services: Geographic Information Systems consulting including land surveys, mapping, population distribution analysis, elevation modeling, flood analysis, and transportation modeling.
3. Data Collection Services: Data collection through remote sensing, mobile app surveys, telephone surveys, and door-to-door surveys. Projects include major census work and socioeconomic surveys.
4. App and Web Development: Custom mobile app and web application development including data visualization dashboards, project status dashboards, and communication platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GeoTropics is a full-service drone and GIS consulting firm that delivers aerial imaging, geospatial analysis, and field data collection for international development projects. The firm offers drone-based mapping, multi-method data collection (remote sensing, mobile app, telephone, and door-to-door surveys), and custom mobile/web application and dashboard development for governments, NGOs, and development finance institutions across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Product overview

GeoTropics LLC is a full-service drone and GIS consulting firm offering three integrated service lines: Drone Services for aerial imaging and mapping, Data Collection Services for field surveys and remote sensing, and App & Web Design for custom software development. These services work together to provide comprehensive geospatial solutions for international development projects, with drone-based spatial data collection feeding into custom mobile apps and visualization dashboards for stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drone Services Aerial imaging and mapping services using a fleet of fixed-wing and multi-rotor drones equipped with cameras and sensors, producing high-resolution orthophotos, elevation models, and topographic data for international development clients across sectors such as WASH, education, transportation, urban development, and disaster response.
• Data Collection Services Comprehensive data collection services combining remote sensing via drones, door-to-door surveys, telephone surveys, and mobile app-based surveying for socioeconomic, census, and population distribution analysis in international development projects.
• App & Web Design Custom mobile application development (iOS and Android), web application design, data visualization dashboards, and project status dashboards designed for stakeholder communication and data analysis in international development projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced centimeter-accurate topographic models and high-resolution aerial imagery of 246 hectare landfill site
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDB was the original employer of founder Nicolas Clarens (starting in 2012) and is a key development partner for GeoTropics. The company was founded in 2015 to provide comprehensive mapping and data collection services to the bank and other donors.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey development partner providing funding and project opportunities for GeoTropics geospatial and data collection services in international development projects.
• DINEPA (Direction Nationale de l'Eau Potable et de l'Assainissement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian government water and sanitation authority partnered with GeoTropics on WASH infrastructure monitoring projects, including aerial imaging and web-map visualization of water reservoirs.
• CNIGS (Centre National de Géomatique du Système)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaiti's National GIS Center partnered with GeoTropics during Hurricane Matthew response for aerial data collection and infrastructure damage database development.
• Ministry of Planning (Haiti)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with GeoTropics to support the National GIS Center following Hurricane Matthew destruction, collecting orthorectified aerial imagery and spatial data.
• MENFP (Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian Ministry of Education partnered with GeoTropics on school construction monitoring and education data collection projects.
• Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian Civil Protection Directorate partnered on public housing topography projects in Guyana, covering 1,300 hectares of public housing sites.
• FAES (Fonds d'Assistance Economique et Sociale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian economic and social assistance fund partnered with GeoTropics for school reconstruction dashboard development post-Hurricane Matthew.
• IOM (International Organization for Migration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Organization for Migration partnered with GeoTropics on migration and disaster response geospatial projects.
• Welthungerhilfe (WHH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman humanitarian organization partnered with GeoTropics for development and humanitarian projects.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Pix4D: Photogrammetry software that converts drone imagery into professional maps, models, and point clouds. Comparable to GeoTropics as a core technology layer in the same drone-to-geospatial pipeline, and is widely used across the drone-services industry.
• DroneDeploy: A drone mapping and analytics platform that turns imagery into orthomosaics, 3D models, and inspection reports. Comparable to GeoTropics' drone-to-data-pipeline offering, although DroneDeploy is software-first while GeoTropics bundles services and custom development.
• Cyberhawk Innovations: A drone-based inspection, surveying, and visual data management company serving energy, infrastructure, and industrial clients globally. Comparable to GeoTropics in drone-driven data acquisition combined with managed visual-data delivery.
• Aerodyne Group: A global drone-based enterprise solutions provider offering aerial inspection, mapping, and geospatial analytics across multiple sectors. Comparable to GeoTropics in bundling drone operations with data analytics and software delivery, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Terra Drone: A drone services and technology company operating globally in surveying, inspection, and geospatial analytics for infrastructure and industrial clients. Comparable to GeoTropics in drone-based service delivery and multi-sector vertical coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Esri: The dominant GIS software platform (ArcGIS) used across government, international development, and infrastructure planning. Comparable to GeoTropics as a foundational geospatial analysis layer; GeoTropics' GIS consulting relies on tools in this category.
• Planet Labs: An earth observation company operating a large constellation of imaging satellites delivering frequent global coverage. Comparable to GeoTropics as a geospatial data provider for monitoring and development use cases, although at higher frequency but lower resolution than drone-based approaches.
• Trimble: A broad geospatial technology provider spanning surveying hardware, GNSS, and mapping software for construction, agriculture, and government. Comparable to GeoTropics in delivering end-to-end surveying and mapping outcomes, with much larger scale and product breadth.
• Maxar Technologies: A leading satellite imagery and geospatial analytics provider serving defense, intelligence, and commercial markets. Comparable to GeoTropics in producing high-resolution geospatial intelligence but at vastly larger scale and using satellite rather than drone platforms.

Others

• IMC Worldwide: An international development consultancy with deep donor-funded project experience in transport, water, and urban development. Comparable to GeoTropics' client segments and donor-network orientation, and a potential prime contractor for the same multilateral projects GeoTropics supports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/geotropics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/geotropics
• Instagraminstagram.com/geotropics

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 GeoTropics LLC