Abovesurveying
Founded 2015 · 96 employees on LinkedIn · 3 known investors
Above provides robotics, AI, and computer vision-based inspection, mapping, and monitoring services for solar power plants across their lifecycle, from development and construction to operations. Its cloud-based SolarGain platform, with web and mobile apps, consolidates test, inspection, and operational data into a digital health record for solar assets serving companies in the renewable energy industry.
Also known as Above · Above Surveying · Above Surveying Ltd. · Squirrel Innovations Limited
Investors · 3
Also in the syndicate · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Above (Above Surveying Ltd., formerly Squirrel Innovations Limited) supplies data, inspection and software services for solar photovoltaic plants across the asset lifecycle, spanning design and development, construction and operations. Its services include aerial topographic mapping used for site visualisation, yield modelling and plant design; thermographic and ultra-high-definition inspection to identify hotspots, string and substring faults and module defects; digital construction management combining aerial oversight with field-based quality control; and site condition inspection.
At the centre of the offering is SolarGain, a cloud-based platform built for utility-scale solar that consolidates test, inspection and operational data into a single digital record of an asset. The platform generates interactive geospatial plant layouts and module-level health information using machine learning, supports workflows, QA, observations management and component-level digital twins, and is offered as a standalone product whether data is collected by Above, the customer's own teams or third-party providers. A companion mobile application, SolarGain Mobile (previously described as EyeSite), links back-office operations with on-site fieldwork, supporting geo-referenced field annotations, visual inspections and digitised documentation. Above also maintains a customer help centre with software release notes and community support.
Founding story
The business was founded in 2016 by Will Hitchcock, who serves as Chief Executive.
Business model
Above sells inspection and data-collection services alongside the SolarGain software platform, which can also be licensed as a standalone product for data gathered by customers or third parties.
Revenue is derived from inspection, mapping and monitoring services and from access to the SolarGain platform, including a SolarGain PRO tier that unlocks features such as visual inspections in the mobile app.
Traction
Above reports work on more than 10,000 sites for over 900 companies with more than 500 data collection partners globally; at the time of its 2022 funding it had worked on over 2,500 solar assets. Named customers and referees include Exus, Low Carbon, RES, PI Berlin and Galp.
Latest developments
Above has appointed SkySpecs founder Danny Ellis as Chairman, published an on-demand webinar with Kiwa on building solar and BESS projects, added an Observations feature centralising images from SolarGain Mobile, autonomous drone inspections and manual sources, and lists upcoming events for 2026.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Positioned as a provider of solar plant data and analytics software; investors described it at the time of its 2022 raise as a world-leading solar data and analytics company, and it was the Clean Growth Fund's first solar-sector investment.
Purpose-built for utility-scale solar, combining field data capture with a single platform that unifies inspection, QA, construction and operational data into a lifecycle health record; customers cite higher accuracy and more precise location and identification of faults than alternative platforms.
Technology
Robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision applied to aerial data capture, including autonomous drone inspection, high-resolution aerial photogrammetry for topographic and shading data, thermography, and component-level digital twins delivered through the cloud-based SolarGain web platform and SolarGain Mobile app.
Go-to-market
Direct sales supported by demo requests on its website, webinars (including a joint webinar with Kiwa), industry trade-show presence such as the KEY energy expo, and a global network of data collection partners.
Solar asset owners, developers, EPC and O&M providers, and technical advisors in the renewable energy industry, working on ground-mounted and roof-mounted PV assets.
Geography
Headquartered at Knowledge Gateway, Nesfield Road, Colchester, Essex, UK, with customers supported across six continents and named engagements in the UK and EMEA.
History
Founded in 2016 and formerly named Squirrel Innovations Limited, the company was led by founder and CEO Will Hitchcock, with Jeremy Elden serving as Chairman from 2020. In February 2022 it raised GBP 2.4 million led by the Clean Growth Fund, with participation from existing investors and management. It later appointed SkySpecs founder Danny Ellis as Chairman.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsAbove appointed SkySpecs founder Danny Ellis as Chairman, per a company blog post.
The Clean Growth Fund led a GBP 2.4 million investment in Above, its first investment in the UK solar industry, with additional investment from Chairman Jeremy Elden and support from existing investors. Preqin records the round as GBP 2.4 million of growth capital led by new investor Clean Growth Investment Management with participation from management. Shoosmiths advised the Clean Growth Fund and Birketts advised Above.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 5
primary sources listed
- Abovesurveyingabovesurveying.com · web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Abovesurveying do?
- UK company providing aerial inspection, mapping and the SolarGain data platform for utility-scale solar plants.
- Who are Abovesurveying's investors?
- Abovesurveying's investors include Clean Growth Fund.