20 years ago, EOMAP was founded with a bold ambition: to transform the way we understand inland waters and coastal environments through satellite-based analytics.

When Thomas Heege founded the company in 2006, satellite‑based water analytics were still a young and largely unexplored field. Yet, the need for reliable, science‑driven insights was already clear.

“From the very beginning, our purpose has been to bridge the gap between scientific excellence and real-world decision-making, and to make satellite-derived information accessible to organisations around the globe”, Thomas says looking back.

In spring 2006, Thomas Heege pitched EOMAP products and services during a founders’ training in Kiel, northern Germany. At that time, product maps were still generated from multi- and hyperspectral airborne data. This was due to the limited number of high-resolution satellites available.

Early Support and Strong Partnerships

A huge thanks goes to German Aerospace Center (DLR) Technology Transfer, especially to Rudolf Faymonville, whose belief in us was instrumental during our start‑up years and also thank his successor, Robert Klarner, who has continued this spirit of support.

We are also deeply grateful for the encouragement from Thorsten Rudolph at AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen as well as the guidance of Prof. Manfred Schroeder, the former head of the EO department.

Celebrating Two Decades of Progress

As EOMAP’s 20‑year anniversary this summer is approaching, we’re excited to share the milestones of our journey with you in a post series. The series will highlight pioneering research and breakthrough innovations to global partnerships and project highlights across inland and coastal waters.

Follow along and share your memories in the comments as we look back on two decades of progress, collaboration, and impact!