How does it look from space? Satellite surge to alter investing

Higher-frequency images set for use in entirely new ways and by more investors than before

For funds forever looking for that elusive edge, even space is no longer the final frontier.

In what sounds like science fiction, hundreds of new satellites will zoom into orbit in coming years and start beaming down round-the-clock visual updates on unsuspecting companies. The hour-by-hour images of factories, mines, shopping malls and the like will boost the existing pool of so-called geospatial data – information gathered by satellites, as well as drones, aircraft, hot-air balloons and even