Abu Dhabi-based AI-powered SpaceTech company Space42 has announced strategic partnerships with four technology startups to integrate their solutions into its advanced geospatial intelligence platform, GIQ. The company has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with xMap, FortyGuard, AIRMO, and AlphaGEO, aiming to expand GIQ’s capabilities in delivering critical insights for urban planning, climate resilience, and environmental management across the region.
The collaborations are set to enhance GIQ, which was recently launched on Microsoft Azure to provide secure and scalable access to governments, enterprises, and researchers. By bringing these emerging innovators into its ecosystem, Space42 is accelerating the delivery of sophisticated, data-driven solutions derived from space technology.
Building a Collaborative Geospatial Ecosystem
These partnerships underscore Space42’s strategy to build an open and scalable geospatial network that fosters co-innovation and knowledge exchange. The MoUs focus on integrating the startups’ complementary tools into the GIQ marketplace, combining expertise for joint project delivery, and establishing ongoing training and technical development to bolster the UAE’s position in space-enabled innovation.
“Partnerships are central to Space42’s and the UAE’s DNA,” said Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space42. “By uniting innovators who expand the impact of geospatial intelligence, we make insights from space more accessible to communities and economies on Earth. This spirit of shared progress reflects the UAE’s vision for a knowledge-based economy, fostering research, technology adoption, and entrepreneurship.”
Meet the Innovators Joining GIQ
Each of the four startups brings a unique set of capabilities to the GIQ platform, amplifying its ability to address complex global challenges with specialized AI-driven tools:
- xMap: A generative AI platform providing real-time environmental analytics and location-based insights for smart city planning.
- FortyGuard: Specializes in AI-driven urban heat mapping, offering critical data to support sustainable infrastructure development and mitigate heat island effects.
- AIRMO: Contributes advanced climate monitoring and predictive modeling for emissions tracking, enabling more effective resilience planning.
- AlphaGEO: Focuses on advanced data visualization and fusion, enhancing environmental intelligence applications with richer, more integrated datasets.
Powering the UAE’s Knowledge-Based Economy
Developed in partnership with the UAE Space Agency, GIQ serves as the anchor for the UAE Space Data Center, playing a pivotal role in the nation’s digital transformation agenda. The platform already leverages over 10 data providers and eight proprietary AI models to deliver actionable insights in minutes. By cultivating a network of specialized innovators, Space42 is directly supporting the UAE’s economic diversification goals, fostering entrepreneurship in high-value tech sectors, and reducing reliance on traditional industries.
About Space42
Space42 (ADX: SPACE42) is a UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company that integrates satellite communications, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities. Formed in 2024 by the successful merger of Bayanat and Yahsat, Space42’s global reach allows it to address the rapidly evolving needs of its customers in governments, enterprises, and communities. The company comprises two business units: Space Services, focusing on upstream satellite operations, and Smart Solutions, which integrates geospatial data and AI to inform decision-making.
Source: Zawya
