Google acquired Skybox Imaging in 2014 for about $500 million to expand its satellite-imaging business.
Skybox Imaging was founded in 2009 with the goal of collecting frequent, high-resolution images of Earth using a constellation of small satellites. Its satellites could capture imagery and video that supported mapping, logistics, agriculture, disaster response, and other data applications.
Google announced the acquisition in June 2014. The company said the imagery could improve Google Maps and related products, while Skybox’s satellite technology and data could support broader information services. The transaction was completed later that year, and Skybox was subsequently renamed Terra Bella.
Google sold Terra Bella to Planet Labs in 2017, while retaining an equity interest and continuing a partnership. Skybox Imaging is sometimes confused with Planet Labs, which became the later owner of the business. The acquisition is notable because it linked a startup’s small-satellite approach with a major internet company’s mapping and geospatial ambitions.