City Science’s innovative GIS platform, Cadence, enters the US market.
Overview
City Science expanded Cadence, our cutting-edge GIS platform, into the US market through the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) Create Growth Programme Competition 4.
Over six months, the project established a firm foundation in the US competitive geospatial market: identifying key target segments, enriching Cadence’s data catalogue with 30+ US-specific data layers, and delivering major platform localisations. The project was supported by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) who supported our efforts towards US outreach, provided broad market insights, and highlighted state-level disparities.
Challenge
Entering the US GIS market as a new player came with real challenges. Just like the UK, the GIS software space is dominated by Esri’s ArcGIS products with a few players like Felt, Deepki, and UrbanFootprint holding minimal US market share. This challenge is compounded by the high level of fragmentation in the US market. With over 19,000 municipal governments, each following their own procurement processes, new entries need to have a targeted approach to relationship building.
Approach
City Science collaborated with the UK Department of Business and Trade to expand its network and to explore US market intelligence insights. This was complemented by direct interviews with prospective US clients, yielding valuable insights into local needs, workflows, and decision-making processes.
Simulteanously, City Science further enhanced Cadence’s 3D and storytelling features. Within Cadence, users now have access to 3D basemaps, lighting conditions, additional 3D datasets, lollipop markers, and a fly-through tool. The in-built data catalogue was also enrich with US Census Bureau data and additional joining keys for user-uploaded data from the US.
Achievements
This project marked City Science’s first meaningful step into the US market, positioning Cadence as a platform ready to scale globally. Key milestones include:
- 160% uplift in organic monthly new user sign-ups from the US
- 30+ new US datasets integrated into Cadence’s data catalogue. US Storytelling Project – Cadence
- US geographic joining keys by state, statistical area, county, subdivision, and legislative district- enabling seamless data joins across any regional boundary
- New 3D terrain features rendering real elevation, hills, valleys, and slopes, alongside new basemaps with 3D building visualisation
- New 3D lollipop label feature- interesting way to visualise point data
- New dynamic lighting modes allowing users to toggle between dawn, day, dusk, and night environments
- Release highlights webinar & shared on our website: Cadence 2026 Release Highlights – Cadence
Figure 1: New lollipop label feature now live in Cadence
Figure 2: Example of 3D visualisation of building data in San Francisco, US
Figure 3: Population Under Poverty, 5-year estimates, by county. Source: US Census Bureau, 2024
Future Outlook
Inbound interest from the US is already building, a clear signal that the market is taking notice. This is an exciting time for City Science as we move from a UK-focused platform to a global one, starting with the US.
To find out more, follow us on Linked or contact us on info@cityscience.com