Collaboration to Expand Delivery of High-Resolution Imagery and Deep Analytics
HERNDON, Va. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 1, 2021 — BlackSky Holdings, Inc. (“BlackSky”), a leading technology platform providing real-time geospatial intelligence and global monitoring, announced today that Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) has committed to making an equity investment in BlackSky, which is scheduled to close after the completion of BlackSky’s business combination with Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp (“Osprey”). Following the successful completion of a joint pilot program between BlackSky and Palantir, this investment signifies the strengthening of a strategic collaboration that will enable BlackSky to further extend its capabilities and meet the increasing demand for global monitoring services from its and Palantir’s customers.
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BlackSky Imagery Integrated into Palantir Foundry (Graphic: Business Wire)
Through the pilot project, BlackSky automatically delivered insights and intelligence to Palantir customers within minutes of collection, without any human interaction. The ability to quickly deliver worldwide intelligence that can inform proactive strategic decision-making introduces a significant advantage in time-sensitive operations.
“This collaboration further enables BlackSky to put the power of real-time intelligence in the hands of the user by allowing Palantir customers to directly task our satellites, reduce decision-making timelines and increase the delivery of on-demand insights,” said Brian E. O’Toole, CEO of BlackSky. “Our partnership with Palantir will accelerate our go-to-market plan, expanding our pipeline of commercial and government customers around the world.”
To extend the benefits demonstrated by the pilot project, BlackSky also has entered into a multi-year software subscription agreement with Palantir to access Palantir Foundry, an enterprise platform run by Palantir. BlackSky will offer a combined solution that integrates Spectra AI with Palantir Foundry to expand the delivery of high-resolution imagery and deep analytics to customers worldwide. The capabilities of the combined solution were successfully demonstrated in a series of exercises with experienced geospatial intelligence customers earlier this year.
Through the collective capabilities of BlackSky and Palantir, this collaboration increases access to time-sensitive global intelligence that can aid in predicting events. BlackSky will leverage this alliance to meet the unprecedented demand for real-time actionable intelligence.
“BlackSky is a strong partner to Palantir and reinforces our shared goals around compressing decision-chains for operational users at the edge,” said Shyam Sankar, COO of Palantir Technologies. “Through the licensing agreement, customers will gain tailored insights from increasingly sophisticated orbital sensors and AI, integrated into their decision-making operating system. This partnership directly connects space sensors to action, accelerating operations across domains, from space to mud.”
Earlier this year, BlackSky announced a planned business combination with Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: SFTW). Osprey will hold the special meeting of stockholders on September 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. ET to, among other things, allow its stockholders to vote to approve the proposed business combination with BlackSky.
About BlackSky Holdings, Inc.
BlackSky is a leading provider of real-time geospatial intelligence. BlackSky monitors activities and facilities worldwide by harnessing the world’s emerging sensor networks and leveraging its own satellite constellation. BlackSky processes millions of data elements daily from its constellation as well as a variety of space, IoT, and terrestrial-based sensors and data feeds. BlackSky’s on-demand constellation of satellites can image a location multiple times throughout the day. BlackSky monitors for pattern-of-life anomalies to produce alerts and enhance situational awareness. BlackSky’s monitoring service, Spectra AI, is powered by cutting-edge compute techniques, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and natural language processing. BlackSky’s global monitoring solution is available via a simple subscription and requires no IT infrastructure or setup. On February 17, 2021, BlackSky entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination (the “Merger Agreement”) with Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp. (“Osprey”) (NYSE: SFTW) that would result in BlackSky becoming a publicly listed company. For more information, visit www.blacksky.com.
About Osprey
Osprey is a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, that was established as a collaboration between investment firms HEPCO Capital Management, led by Jonathan and Edward Cohen, and JANA Partners, led by Barry Rosenstein and with its SPAC initiative led by JANA Partner David DiDomenico, who serves as Osprey’s CEO, President, and Director. Osprey was formed to consummate a transaction with one or more transformative companies that have developed innovative software delivery platforms. For more information, visit www.osprey-technology.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws with respect to the proposed transactions between Osprey and BlackSky. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of Osprey’s securities, (ii) the risk that the transactions may not be completed by Osprey’s Business Combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the Business Combination deadline if sought by Osprey, (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transactions, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the stockholders of Osprey, the satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following redemptions by Osprey’s public stockholders and the receipt of certain governmental and regulatory approvals, (iv) the lack of a third-party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed transactions, (v) the inability to complete the PIPE Investment, (vi) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, (vii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the transactions on BlackSky’s business relationships, operating results, and business generally, (viii) risks that the proposed transactions disrupt current plans and operations of BlackSky, (ix) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against BlackSky or against the Osprey related to the Merger Agreement or the proposed transactions, (x) the ability to maintain the listing of Osprey’s securities on a national securities exchange, (xi) changes in the competitive and regulated industries in which BlackSky operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting BlackSky’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, (xii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transactions, and identify and realize additional opportunities (xiii) the performance of our third-party service providers, including our satellite manufacturer and launch providers, (xiv) risks related to delays or cancellations from current or expected customers, (xv) the risk that redemptions by Osprey’s public stockholders may require the combined company to seek additional equity and/or debt financing to fund its business plan, and (xvi) the effects of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and the spread and/or abatement of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, on the proposed transactions or on the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transactions. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Osprey’s registration on Form S-1 (File No. 333-234180), the registration statement on Form S-4 discussed below and other documents filed by Osprey from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Osprey and BlackSky assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither Osprey nor BlackSky gives any assurance that either Osprey or BlackSky, or the combined company, will achieve its expectations.
