ReconLinkARCHIVED
A simpler way to find and acquire satellite imagery across providers, with a unified approach to pricing.
+ A FINAL TRANSMISSION
A mission ends.
A perspective
remains.
ShadowBreak Intl has closed its operations.
We leave with pride in what we built, gratitude for those
who believed, and lessons that will stay with us.
+A DIFFERENT WAY
TO SEE OUR WORLD
TO SEE OUR WORLD
GEOSPATIAL INTELLIGENCE. HUMAN PERSPECTIVE.SCROLL TO REMEMBER
01 / THE MISSION
We believed a clearer view of the world
should be within everyone’s reach.
Founded in 2019, ShadowBreak set out to make geospatial intelligence more accessible. We brought satellite imagery, open-source research and human analysis together to help people understand what was happening on the ground.
02 / THE WORK THAT REMAINS
A small team.
A wider field of view.
The company closes. The work still matters.
A few moments from the record.
RECONLINK / CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEFrom an idea
to imagery in hand.
SkyWatch documented how we integrated EarthCache into ReconLink, making it easier for customers to request new satellite imagery and access more datasets.
Read the case study
BEIRUT / DAMAGE ASSESSMENTClarity when it
mattered most.
After the Beirut port explosion, we analysed Pléiades imagery to assess the affected area and the potential impact on local infrastructure.
Explore the analysis
SPACE / PARTNERSHIPBringing space
a little closer.
Our agreement with Axelspace opened a path to tailored microsatellite services, from design and launch to secure imagery access.
Read the announcementIN THE PUBLIC RECORD
More perspectives on our work.
Interviews, independent reporting and imagery credits.
Balancing access and security in geospatial intelligence
Samuel Cardillo and Jasper Smallenbroek on accessible imagery, TacSight and responsible customer screening.
Reconstructing a floating-dock accident in Vladivostok
Reporting used satellite imagery acquired through ShadowBreak to help explain the path of a dock during Typhoon Maysak.
A closer look at a previously unidentified submarine
Analysis of imagery from Sinpo, North Korea, credited ShadowBreak for acquiring the Pléiades satellite data.
Following shipbuilding activity from orbit
Satellite imagery acquired through ShadowBreak supported reporting on a third Type-075 vessel under construction in Shanghai.
Investigating marine-mammal deployments through imagery
Reporting on Tartus used Kompsat imagery acquired through ShadowBreak, with additional imagery of Arctic facilities.
Documenting open radio communications in Ukraine
An interview with Samuel Cardillo about the work of ShadowBreak and volunteers during the invasion.
These are historical reports. Article dates and conclusions reflect the time of publication. Some publishers may require a subscription.
THE TOOLS WE BUILT
Less friction.
More understanding.
TacSightARCHIVED
A collaborative analysis environment designed to turn geospatial data into shared situational understanding.
03 / THE REALITY WE MET
More satellites.
A different reality.
Every company starts with a belief.
This was ours. And this is what we learned.
OUR ORIGINAL THESIS
More launches.
More operators.
More accessible imagery.
We believed that increasing launch capacity and a growing number of space platform operators would bring imagery prices down. On that foundation, we built a vision of democratised geospatial intelligence.
OUR EXPERIENCE
Prices moved the other way.
The price reductions our model depended on did not materialise. Instead, we faced rising imagery costs.
Suppliers became direct competitors.
Providers increasingly sold directly to customers, reshaping the role and economics of independent resellers.
Partnerships needed constant review.
A crowded, clustered reseller market meant continuously reassessing relationships, terms and access in an intensely competitive field.
The market did not develop in the way our founding thesis required.
Recognising that is part of closing this chapter honestly.
To everyone who
believed in us.
Closing ShadowBreak is not how I imagined this story would end. But it does not diminish the pride I feel in the work we did, the people we worked with, or the ambition that brought us together.
We set out to make a complex world easier to understand. Along the way, we built tools, supported investigations, and helped our customers see further. That work will always mean something to me.
To our investors and customers: thank you for trusting us, for backing our vision, and for giving us the opportunity to pursue it. To the team, partners and collaborators who put their time and belief into ShadowBreak: thank you for everything you brought to this journey.
The assumptions behind our business did not hold. I take those lessons with me — with gratitude, humility, and lasting respect for everyone who was part of it.
Proud of the work.
Grateful for the journey.
Samuel Cardillo
FOUNDER, SHADOWBREAK INTL