Earth observation and geospatial AI: accessible, intuitive, and affordable.
With Carto, you can easily develop custom monitoring tools to analyse large areas and gain valuable insights into biodiversity, agriculture, water management, climate adaptation, infrastructure, smart cities, and other spatial challenges.
Satellite data and artificial intelligence are powerful tools
at Spheer, we make them accessible and easy to use. With Carto, you get:
Ease of use without technical barriers
No knowledge of AI or satellite data requiredâyour own expertise is enough. Train a model right in your browser and get usable insights within minutes. No hassleâCartoâs AI engine does the heavy lifting.
Smart AI that adapts to your challenge
Our geo-foundation model has learned to analyse the Earthâs surface from years of satellite imagery. Carto combines this intelligence with your examples to create accurate, tailored monitoring.
Seamless integration with GIS systems
Carto connects effortlessly to existing GIS workflows. Export maps and analyses in common formats for direct use in QGIS, ArcGIS, or other geospatial tools.
Efficient collaboration and data-driven decisions
Collaborate with stakeholders and partners on shared projects, exchange models and insights, and make decisions based on shared data.
How does it work?
About the platform
Carto is your central platform for advanced, space-based area monitoring. Collaborate with colleagues and partners on a shared understanding of your region. Easily add new observations, refine your model, and improve predictions based on team feedbackâall in one clear interface.
As a fully cloud-based service, Carto requires no local infrastructure and can be accessed from anywhereâall you need is a browser. Whether you're at your desk or out in the field, Carto goes with you.
Carto works with projects: areas of interest where you can monitor one or more indicators over time. From small test areas to nationwide cases, Carto scales effortlessly with your organisationâs needs. You stay in control of your datasets and models throughout.
What makes Carto unique is its foundation model, trained on years of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. This gives Carto a deep understanding of the Earthâs surface and its dynamics. As a result, the platform can produce accurate predictions with minimal inputâfrom vegetation growth to water quality and spatial change. And thanks to ongoing improvements in our smart AI, your models get better over time, without needing to dive into technical complexity.
Use cases
Nature
Track changes in vegetation, biodiversity and ecosystems over time.
Water
Monitor water quality, drought, flooding and changes in surface water.
Agriculture
Assess agricultural practices, nature inclusivity and crop quality.
Spatial planning
Analyse urban expansion, detect landscape features and track changes in infrastructure.
Climate adaptation
Detect heat stress, soil degradation and other climate-related changes.
ESG
Map environmental impact and sustainability indicators. Monitor COâ storage, land use and ecological impact to make ESG goals measurable and transparent.
See use cases
Carto in cijfers
Active users
Organisations use Carto for policy, management and monitoring
Continents active
Completed cases in Carto
Time saved when analysing large areas
More frequent monitoring on the same budget
Minutes to create a usable map instead of weeks
Fewer examples needed for reliable monitoring
Carto uses state-of-the-art AI to intelligently analyse satellite data from across the Earthâs surface, enabling seamless landscape monitoring.
Satellite data as foundation
Carto uses Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, which captures the Earthâs surface every five days at a resolution of up to 10 metres. These images form the backbone of Cartoâs analysis, enabling continuous monitoring of changes in nature, water and land use. In the future, Carto will be extended with high-resolution aerial imagery and additional data sources for even more detailed insights.
Slimme tijdreeksen: het hele jaar geanalyseerd
Carto captures seasonal patterns and natural variation, by analyzing all satellite data from across the year in stead of relying on a single image. This results in a much more accurate and reliable view of structural landscape changes.
Seamless GIS integration
Carto integrates smoothly with geoinformation systems. You can easily export maps and analyses in standard formats for use in QGIS, ArcGIS or other spatial workflows. For more advanced applications, Carto also includes an API.
Scalable AI architecture that learns from your expertise
Carto is built on our own foundation model, trained on years of satellite data, giving it a deep understanding of the Earthâs surface. You only need to train the final bit: by providing a few observations, you teach Carto your specific monitoring goal. This makes the process both powerful and accessibleâyou get the benefits of cutting-edge AI without having to build your own model from scratch.
Lightning-fast, iterative analysis: Carto as your smart assistant
Thanks to parallel processing, Dask distribution, and cloud computing, Carto analyses large areas within minutes. Itâs like working with a colleague who thinks along with youâhelping you experiment quickly and refine models without waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How secure is Cartoâs AI? Does Carto comply with the European AI Act?
Cartoâs artificial intelligence consists of two parts: our foundation model, and the Carto system in which specific models are trained for each use case. To ensure compliance with the European AI Act by August 2025 (when the lawâs requirements take effect), Spheer follows the guidelines and compliance checker provided by the Future of Life Institute:
- Foundation model: our foundation model qualifies as a General Purpose AI Model without Systemic Risk. To comply with the AI Act, we will soon publish a Model Card on our website, explaining how the model was developed and how it should be used.
- Carto: Carto falls under the category of âLimited Risk AI Systemsâ. In line with the AI Act, we clearly state within Carto that users are interacting with an AI model, and we include in our terms of use that users remain responsible for any decisions made based on insights from Carto.
- Do I need technical knowledge to use Carto?
No, you donât!
Carto is designed for everyone, regardless of technical background. You donât need to know anything about AI or satellite dataâjust use your browser to train a model and get valuable insights within minutes. Your expertise in the subject matter on the ground is all you need.
And if you ever need help using Carto, weâre happy to assist!
- How accurate is Carto?
Carto is highly accurate, thanks to our foundation model trained on years of Sentinel-2 satellite data.
Field validations with our users show that Carto is often as accurate as manual mapping by experts. The platform delivers detailed, trustworthy mapsâgiving you confidence in your decisions.
Read more about how users apply Carto.
- How quickly will I see results?
Within minutes!
Carto delivers fast, accurate maps for both small and large areas. Upload a few examples or draw them directly in Carto, click âtrain model,â and instantly receive insights for your area of interest going back to 2017. Refine as needed until your map is just right.
- How large an area can I monitor with Carto?
Carto lets you consistently monitor large areasâup to entire provinces or beyond! Thanks to our smart and scalable architecture, users can train models and generate maps for province-sized areas in just minutes.
Carto also works just as well for smaller areasâwhether itâs a single municipality or nature reserve