Our mission
We want to establish satellite journalism as a new discipline of journalistic work. Because what used to be the preserve of the military and intelligence services opens up completely new opportunities for journalists to conduct (investigative) research. That's why we founded Vertical52 in Berlin in 2023. You can find us at Publix - on the 52nd parallel.
Independent investigation requires an unobstructed view from space. More than 13,000 satellites orbit the Earth, transmitting terabytes of information every day. While intelligence agencies and large corporations use this data for their own purposes, access for actors working for the common good often remains exclusive, expensive or technically too complex.
Vertical52 closes this gap. We democratise access to satellite-based intelligence. We are convinced that Earth observation data must be a public good if it is to be used to uncover human rights violations, environmental crimes or state repression. Where information is suppressed or manipulated on the ground, the perspective from orbit often offers the only independently verifiable source of truth. We secure this access so that facts remain visible, measurable and forensically provable.
Expertise for journalism and research
Vertical52 operates at the intersection of geoscience, investigative journalism and political analysis. Our team understands the needs of editorial offices, independent researchers and think tanks from years of practical experience.
We don't just know how to read satellite images; we understand what a story or analysis needs to be legally sound, credible and robust. We speak the language of editorial offices and understand the time pressures and ethical responsibilities involved. At the same time, we work closely with think tanks and specialist communities whose expertise validates and deepens complex investigations.
From data to verifiable evidence
We bridge the gap between complex raw data and publishable evidence through methodological rigour:
Access & research: We tap into global archives, select the appropriate sensors and make geodata usable for investigative research and analysis in the first place.
Analysis & context: A satellite image alone is not proof. We transform raw pixels into reproducible evidencethrough systematic analysis. We create chains of evidence that stand up to editorial, legal and public scrutiny.
Knowledge transfer & visualisation: We empower partners to interpret geodata reliably and present it visually in a way that makes complex global contexts understandable.
Resilience against disinformation: In an age of deepfakes and manipulated narratives, we create an incorruptible foundation. Our analyses are independently verifiable and serve as a bulwark against targeted disinformation.
Independence as a mandate
As a non-profit partner, we operate free of commercial interests. Our mandate is to strengthen the fourth estate and the entire ecosystem of fact-based education. We see ourselves as a partner and safe space for those who control power – especially for exile media, think tanks and all colleagues who work under difficult conditions.
Vertical52 ensures the sustainability of this mission through an independent operational unit and a non-profit academy in order to guarantee long-term impact in the public interest.
Vertical52 GmbH
Vertical52 provides publishers, broadcasters and NGOs with research, data and topics from space. And helps to understand, analyse and visualise these and use them to tell stories that convert.
Vertical Academy
With the Vertical52 Academy gGmbH, we have founded a non-profit organisation that supports exile media and local editorial teams with investigative research from space.
Team
Marcus has specialized in complex storytelling projects since 2012. With his teams, he has produced numerous award-winning stories: For example, he tracked electronic waste that was smuggled to West Africa. Or a missing painting that saved the life of a Jewish family in 1938. He builds his stories using innovative technologies such as GPS transmitters or sensors, which he used to make three dairy cows talk, for example. He has been doing research from space since 2022.
Michael is a social entrepreneur from Hamburg. He also worked as a journalist for several years and founded journalists.network, the Institute for Foreign Journalism. From 2002 to 2015, he built the microinsurance business for Allianz and introduced satellite technology in agricultural insurance. In 2018, he co-founded Earth Analytics India in Mumbai with sarmap. With Vertical, he aims to leverage his experience in remote sensing for investigative research.