Blackshark.ai

Blackshark.ai is an Austrian-American geospatial artificial intelligence company developing planet-scale world models and synthetic 3D digital twins. Its software extracts information from satellite, aerial and drone imagery, turning observations of the physical world into structured geographic data and simulation environments. The company combines machine learning, computer vision and 3D reconstruction for applications spanning aviation, defense, autonomous systems and enterprise planning.

The business emerged from research and development begun within Austrian game developer Bongfish in 2017. That work supported Microsoft's effort to recreate Earth for Microsoft Flight Simulator, using imagery to reconstruct buildings, vegetation and regional architectural characteristics. The specialist team became an independent company in 2020. Blackshark.ai subsequently expanded its technology beyond gaming into geospatial analysis, infrastructure monitoring and large-scale simulation.

From imagery to simulation

The company's processing capabilities identify building footprints, roof shapes, building heights, vegetation and road networks. Its reconstruction systems combine imagery with elevation models and GIS vectors to produce textured, physics-ready 3D geometry. These environments support flight training, mission planning, sensor simulation and the development of autonomous vehicles and drones.

Its product portfolio includes HUNTR / ORCA HUNTR for geospatial object detection and model training, and REPLIKA and SYNTH3D for synthetic environment generation. The platforms address both the interpretation of geographic imagery and the creation of usable virtual terrain. Other applications include monitoring infrastructure, assessing renewable energy sites, mapping environmental change and evaluating damage after disasters.

Applications and integrations

Blackshark.ai's work includes Microsoft Flight Simulator and terrain and sensor-modeling integration for Lockheed Martin Prepar3D Fuse. Its geographic datasets can also be used within Unreal Engine through the Blackshark Globe Plugin. These integrations connect automated geospatial reconstruction with interactive visualization and specialist simulation systems.

The company maintains its engineering and machine learning base in Graz, Austria, alongside corporate and commercial operations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its markets include government and national security, smart cities, energy and utilities, disaster response and insurance.