When most people talk about the space economy, they often focus on launch vehicles and satellite constellations. But sitting atop all that infrastructure is a critical layer that transforms space-based signals into earth-based impact: the application layer. And no company embodies that transformation more than Trimble.
At this year’s Space Capital Summit, Trimble CEO Rob Painter and CNBC anchor Morgan Brennan took to the stage to discuss how a company founded in 1978 has become one of the most vital—and visionary—forces in the modern space economy.
From Garage to Global: The Origin of an Industry Shaper
Trimble's story begins in a Silicon Valley garage in 1978. Its founder, Charlie Trimble, spun the company out of HP, acquiring the IP behind LORAN-C navigation systems—a precursor to GPS. When GPS satellites started launching later that same year, Trimble was uniquely positioned to commercialize their potential. As Rob shared, "I’m only the third CEO in Trimble’s 47-year history. It says something about the long-term vision and significance of the space-based technology we’ve harnessed."
In the decades that followed, Trimble would go on to pioneer real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning, precision agriculture, and automated construction. What began as a hardware navigation company became a full-stack provider of hardware, software, and data services—unlocking the value of GPS and GNSS in ways the original satellite architects could never have imagined.
Building the Application Layer of the Space Economy
Trimble doesn’t operate satellites. It doesn’t launch rockets. Instead, it builds the “where” layer that connects the signals from space to actionable systems on Earth. “We think of ourselves as the application layer,” Rob said. “Turning space-based signals into real-world intelligence in industries like construction, agriculture, logistics, and transportation.”
And the results speak for themselves:
- In construction, Trimble software and equipment are used to model and measure to sub-centimeter precision—reducing rework, increasing productivity, and minimizing waste. “80% of projects are late, 40% are over budget,” Rob noted. “Our tools help eliminate costly field conflicts before they happen.”
- In agriculture, Trimble was a pioneer in precision farming. Farmers use Trimble to plant seeds with centimeter-level accuracy, applying pesticides and fertilizers variably based on digital soil maps. The result: higher yields, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact.
- In logistics, Trimble supports real-time fleet tracking, driver optimization, and network efficiency—critical in an industry with nearly 100% annual turnover and razor-thin margins.
Across all these sectors, the common denominator is positioning, but the differentiator is application.
A 10X Leap in Productivity—and a Platform for AI
What makes Trimble truly remarkable is not just the accuracy of its positioning but how it builds entire workflows around it. As Rob explained, “We don’t think about good enough position. We think industrial-grade. That means centimeter-level accuracy—and it means connecting that accuracy to the systems that run businesses.”
In construction, for example, a model might include millions of individual anchor points. With Trimble’s end-to-end platform, that model can be created, validated, and deployed to the field with precision—and then synced back into digital systems for project management, billing, and forecasting.
The result is a 10X improvement in productivity—a scale that lays the perfect foundation for AI.
Trimble is now exploring AI applications across both internal operations and customer-facing systems. From predicting satellite signal occlusions in cities to integrating inertial and visual data for more resilient positioning, AI is helping Trimble push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Rob called this shift “moving from optimizing tasks to optimizing systems.” With over a trillion dollars in construction managed and tens of billions in freight tracked through Trimble systems, the company sits on a rich corpus of vertical data—a strategic asset for building domain-specific AI models that can solve higher-order industry challenges.
The Build vs. Buy Philosophy: Lessons from 150 Acquisitions
Trimble hasn’t grown organically alone. It has completed over 150 acquisitions, including companies in surveying, modeling, logistics, and infrastructure. But acquisitions aren’t about volume—they’re about strategic fit.
“We acquire to advance the mission,” Rob emphasized. “To deliver products that connect the physical and digital worlds—what we call connected construction, connected forestry, connected supply chain.”
Rob offered a powerful takeaway for founders: “Focus on building capabilities that scale. Resist the temptation to chase every customer need and fork your codebase endlessly. Technical debt will crush you.” He also underscored the value of cultural fit—Trimble succeeds when it acquires builders, not transactors.
Partnerships, Policy, and Going Global
Another differentiator is Trimble’s deep partnership network, with joint ventures including:
- Caterpillar in machine control
- Hilti in building construction
- AGCO in precision agriculture
These alliances have allowed Trimble to scale globally across 175+ countries—no small feat. “Developing the tech is one thing,” Rob said. “Bringing it to market globally is another.”
Trimble also stays active on policy, advocating for spectrum protection and open GPS standards. As Rob noted, “We’re a company that depends on a whisper of a signal from space. That signal’s integrity is everything.” From helping block GPS-denied proposals to working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on jamming-resilient positioning, Trimble is deeply invested in defending the public-private infrastructure we all depend on.
Investing in the Next Wave of Innovation
Trimble isn’t just building and acquiring. It’s also investing. Through its venture arm, it seeks to support technologies that expand its platform and extend its value across the space economy. And Rob made it clear—he’s optimistic.
“We’re building tools that feed the world, build the world, move the world,” he said. “We’re the physical AI layer. The work we do matters—and it’s work we’re proud of.”
As Morgan Brennan pointed out, Trimble’s reach is so extensive, most of us benefit from it without even realizing. It’s embedded in the infrastructure of cities, in the tractors that help us grow our food, and in the trucks that deliver it.
What Comes Next?
As we look ahead, the space economy will continue to grow—adding new capabilities in Earth observation, connectivity, and autonomous systems. But it’s companies like Trimble that will ensure that these capabilities are translated into impact.
They turn data into design, signals into systems, and measurements into movements. They make satellites usable, infrastructure intelligent, and AI practical.
At Space Capital, we believe the next great companies will be those that can sit at the intersection of Earth and orbit—and deliver domain-specific intelligence at scale.
Trimble is already doing that—and doing it at industrial grade.
