Gartner Says Earth Intelligence is a $20 Billion New Revenue Growth Opportunity for Technology and Service Providers By 2030

10 July 2025 — Earth intelligence will significantly impact every industry as it rapidly moves from government to the private sector, with annual revenue to surpass US$4.2 billion in 2030, up from nearly US$3.8 billion in 2025, according to Gartner, Inc. The cumulative Earth intelligence direct revenue opportunity for technology product and service providers will reach nearly US$20 billion from 2025 to 2030 (see Figure 1).

This revenue forecast for technology and service providers focuses on direct revenue from Earth intelligence data, analysis services and software applications. It does not take into account the wider range of Earth intelligence value drivers, which can include productivity improvements and cost avoidance. 

Gartner defines Earth intelligence as the application of AI to Earth observation data to deliver solutions specific to industries and business functions. It encompasses gathering and providing Earth observation data, fit-for-purpose transforming it, and then using it to produce actionable insights with domain-specific AI models, tools and applications. 

"The future of Earth intelligence will be won by the vendors that move quickly to develop technologies that make sense of the oceans of raw data they collect," said Bill Ray, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. "The value of Earth intelligence data is only now being realised."

"For example, vendors are leveraging satellites to pinpoint fallen trees blocking railroad tracks in a storm, monitoring the temperature of every metal refinery to assess global production, counting vehicles to analyse traffic patterns and consumer trends, and tracking sea cargo to evaluate shipping activity. These unprecedented insights are delivering immense value, and new use cases are being discovered daily as the AI vendor race intensifies with the ever expanding volume of available data." 

Figure 1: High-Tech FutureSight: Earth Intelligence

Currently, the raw data that fuels Earth intelligence is primarily collected and analysed by governments, but a shift is taking place. In fact, Gartner predicts enterprises will be spending more on Earth intelligence by 2030 than governments and military bodies combined, accounting for more than 50% of total Earth intelligence, up from less than 15% in 2024.

"As private technology and service providers begin to dominate Earth intelligence, they have the opportunity to sell data, models and applications to companies that lack the resources to analyse data for themselves," Ray said. "Earth intelligence will lead to new markets and offerings for data, models, standalone tools and applications, as well as capabilities to embed within existing applications. This represents a massive business opportunity for technology product and service providers."

New economics are evolving because very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites are cheaper to build and launch, and these satellites are watching the Earth in new ways. Radar and hyperspectral techniques see things that used to be invisible, and revisit times can be an hour or less. Private companies are also experimenting with VLEO, which can deliver a resolution as low as 10cm - that is small enough to spot a mouse.

"This is driving, and will continue to drive, massive amounts of Earth observation data. Combining satellite data with ground observation data from sensors and drones further enhances the value of Earth intelligence," said Ray. "This is where AI plays a critical role. Unlike many domains, there is a plethora of data. But that data needs to be engineered into fit-for-purpose information to feed industry and function specific AI models."

Additional information is available to Gartner clients in the report, High-Tech FutureSight: Earth Intelligence Is an Emerging Multibillion Dollar AI Vendor Race, and Emerging Tech: Top Use Cases for Earth Intelligence in Production Measurement. 

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