Η Google reportedly negotiating the acquisition of a small startup company, operating in the field of satellite imaging, for the sum of one billion dollars.
This is the company Skybox, which is based in California and specializes in analysis data and in creation high-precision satellite images and videos of the Earth. According to TechCrunch, which highlighted the issue, Skybox is valued at $500-700 million, according to its last equity raise in 2012.
Google's interest in Skybox had been revealed in April from "The Information". The two sides are now reported to have been negotiating in the past few weeks, having held three rounds of meetings.
This company is reported to have been targeted by Google as part of its wider interest in acquiring satellite imaging technology. Already in April, Google has acquired it Titan Aerospace Logistics, which will further address high-altitude balloons for the show wirelessof his network Project Loon, while its involvement in the programs is self-evident Google Maps and Google Earth.
However, the same article also talks about a second startup company that may be the ultimate goal of Google. It's about it Planet Labs, which also focuses on data analysis, satellite pictures and video, but also has 28 Earth imaging satellites.
In any case, be it Skybox or Planet Labs, there seems to be a lot of interest from Google for a company that is active in the field of satellite imaging. Both Google and Skybox did not comment on the article.