A new space imaging startup EarthNow recently announced its intent to “deploy a large constellation of advanced imaging satellites that will deliver real-time, continuous video of almost anywhere on Earth.” The startup, which is the latest company to emerge from the Intellectual Ventures ISF Incubator, is being backed by AirBus, the SoftBank Group, Bill Gates, and satellite-industry veteran Greg Wyler in its first round of funding.
The company hasn’t revealed Gates’ contribution to the project, but it’s believed that the global goodwill associated with his name will help the company overcome the privacy-related backlash it may face for deploying large-scale surveillance that affects the entire population.
