Skycatch
5.2/10Skycatch automates drone capture of mine and heavy construction sites and turns the imagery into high-precision 3D maps, point clouds and digital twins.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Skycatch is a San Francisco company founded in 2013. It automates aerial data capture and processing for open-pit mines, quarries and large earthworks sites. Its stack has several parts. Flight1 and Flight1x plan and fly missions on DJI aircraft, including the Matrice 300 with the L1 and P1 sensors. The Edge1 GNSS base station can process maps on site. The DataHub analytics platform covers workflows such as pit surveys, highwall scanning, tailings inspection and haul road analysis. Outputs include orthomosaics, digital surface and terrain models, point clouds and 3D meshes. Skycatch claims sub-3 cm accuracy for tailings work and cloud processing in 10 to 15 minutes. Its SkyVerse work with NVIDIA Omniverse extends this into near-real-time mine digital twins. Komatsu distributed the system worldwide through Smart Construction. Anglo American and Teck Resources have been cited as users. Skycatch sells mainly to large mining companies, contractors and drone service partners such as DroneHive, not to small teams. It does not publish prices. It is sold as an enterprise package that bundles hardware, software, onboarding and training, so buyers have to request a quote. In July 2026 Caterpillar acquired Skycatch and said it will feed the data into its MineStar and RPMGlobal mining software. The main limitation follows from this: skycatch.com now redirects to the acquisition notice, so there are no public product, pricing or documentation pages. The standalone product's future depends on how Caterpillar integrates it. Independent user reviews are also very scarce.
Our Rating
AI Software5/10
Industrial & Infrastructure Software5.3/10
Who Skycatch is best for
Best software for EnterpriseGood fit
Sold as an enterprise package to large miners such as Anglo American and Teck, and now part of Caterpillar.
Komatsu distributed it for Smart Construction earthworks sites, though the recent focus has moved to mining.
Mine operations teams use the near-real-time terrain and haul road analytics for planning and safety.
Less suited
Partners such as DroneHive resold the High Precision Package, but the product is built around enterprise site owners.
There is no self-serve or public pricing, and the hardware bundle approach does not suit small firms.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Built specifically for mining workflows such as highwall scanning, tailings inspection, bench toe and crest mapping, and haul road analysis.
- The Edge1 base station lets crews process maps at remote sites within minutes instead of waiting for cloud uploads.
- Claims sub-3 cm accuracy and 10 to 15 minute cloud processing for M300-based capture.
- Proven at large scale, with Komatsu ordering a fleet of 1,000 drones and miners such as Anglo American and Teck as cited users.
- Caterpillar ownership means planned integration with MineStar and RPMGlobal mine planning software.
Cons
- No public pricing or self-serve plans, and the product is sold as a hardware and software bundle.
- Since the July 2026 Caterpillar acquisition, skycatch.com redirects to an acquisition notice, so there are no public product or documentation pages.
- Independent user reviews are very scarce: G2 shows only about three reviews and an inactive profile.
- Tied mainly to DJI and its own aircraft, and aggregator listings show few third-party integrations and no public API.
- One G2 reviewer noted the product is limited relative to its potential.
Key Features
Skycatch Pricing
High Precision Package (Enterprise)
- Onboarding, training and support
- Quote-based enterprise package, no public pricing
- DataHub analytics for pit survey, highwall and tailings workflows
- Flight1/Flight1x automated flight software for supported DJI drones
- Edge1 GNSS base station and in-field processing included as standard
- Cloud or edge photogrammetry: orthomaps, DSM/DTM, point clouds, 3D meshes
Frequently Asked Questions
Caterpillar announced on July 7, 2026 that it had acquired Skycatch and kept founder Christian Sanz as CEO. The DataHub login and support centre are still listed, but skycatch.com now redirects to the acquisition notice. Caterpillar plans to integrate Skycatch data into MineStar and RPMGlobal products.
Skycatch does not publish prices. It sells quote-based enterprise packages, such as the High Precision Package, which bundles flight software, the Edge1 base station and processing.
Its Flight1 app has supported the Skycatch Explore1 and DJI Phantom 4, P4 Pro, P4 RTK and M210 RTK. Flight1x supports the DJI Matrice 300 RTK with the L1 and P1 sensors.
Yes. The Edge1 GNSS base station and processing unit can produce maps and point clouds on site, so data does not have to go to the cloud first.
Skycatch's 2021 release said data is handled on Skycatch servers in the United States. No public compliance certifications were found.
Skycatch claims sub-3 cm accuracy for tailings management and inspection with Flight1x on the M300. Earlier High Precision Package material cited under 5 cm.
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Ranked near Skycatch in AI Software
See Skycatch in the listSkycatch is #338 in AI Software by our score.
