Beagle Systems, a leading air data collection company based in Hamburg, Germany, and AIRMO, a developer of methane measurement satellites, have joined forces to develop an innovative methane emissions monitoring service. This co-operation aims to address the increasing requirements of EU regulations on methane emissions while providing more accurate data for environmental monitoring. Beagle Systems received significant business development support from beyourpilot – now Startup Port.
AIRMO has developed a state-of-the-art sensor that will be sent into space on a satellite next year to enable methane measurements from space. This sensor, which was originally designed for measurements from a distance of several hundred kilometres, offers significantly higher measurement accuracy from a shorter distance. Beagle Systems will utilise this technology to collect data at low altitude. This makes it possible to collect precise data much more efficiently than before and offer it to customers as a service.
Here’s to good cooperation
Oliver Lichtenstein, CEO and co-founder of Beagle Systems, is delighted about the partnership: “The collaboration with AIRMO represents a significant step forward in our mission to make accurate environmental data accessible. By combining our market-leading geospatial data services with AIRMO’s innovative sensor technology, we not only offer our customers improved data quality, but also support them in meeting the stricter requirements of the new EU methane regulation.”
AIRMO’s founder, Daria Stepanova, is also positive about the collaboration: “We are delighted to be working with Beagle Systems. This partnership allows us to utilise our technology in new and effective ways. By combining our methane sensor with Beagle Systems’ expertise in data collection, we can already offer our customers a precise emissions monitoring service.”
Key role in monitoring and minimisation
The adopted EU methane regulation requires pipeline and plant operators to accurately record methane emissions every three to 36 months, starting twelve months after publication of the regulation. With this new service, Beagle Systems and AIRMO are well positioned to play a key role in monitoring and minimising these emissions, which are up to 60 times more potent and therefore more harmful to the environment than CO₂.
Founding history and support
Together with his two co-founders Mitja Wittersheim and Jerry Tang and lawyer Dr Amos Münch as a strategic partner, Oliver Lichtenstein has specialised the start-up Beagle Systems in long-haul flights with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Beagle Systems applied for EXIST funding at the end of 2018 so that the team could dedicate themselves to the project full-time without having to work part-time: “I came across EXIST online. As we didn’t have the necessary university connection and the Nordakademie doesn’t support founders due to the dual system, we contacted Nils Neumann (then beyourpilot, now Startup Port). I was then approached by Helmut Schmidt University during a lecture: They were enthusiastic about the project and took on the mentorship. beyourpilot (from July 2023 under the Startup Port brand) gave us excellent support during the nine-month application process and is still at our side today,” Oliver reports in our Startup Story.
Beagle Systems is now a leading provider of drone-as-a-service services. The company operates self-developed long-range inspection drones and a charging station network that serves pipeline and power grid operators as well as other geospatial data applications. Beagle Systems can cover distances of over 100km per flight, leading the way in the long range beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) market. They have comprehensive regulatory authorisations that allow them to operate in around 80 percent of the European Union’s airspace.
For more information about this partnership and the services of Beagle Systems and AIRMO:
https://www.beaglesystems.com/
Additional information about Airmo:
AIRMO is a Munich-based company that works at the interface of climate and space technology. It develops LiDAR-based systems for aeroplanes and satellites to monitor greenhouse gas emissions worldwide in real time. With support from private investors and the European Space Agency, AIRMO plans to launch its first methane monitoring satellite in 2025, while an airborne version of the instrument is already being deployed with partners. AIRMO’s precise monitoring solutions target key sectors such as oil, gas and energy, providing data for climate change solutions and regulatory compliance. As global warming is increasingly scrutinised worldwide, AIRMO’s technology represents a step towards understanding and mitigating its environmental impact.
