top of page

LizardTech's story began in 1992

LizardTech, founded in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, is best known for creating the MrSID (Multiresolution Seamless Image Database) format, a breakthrough in image compression technology for geospatial and high-resolution imagery. MrSID quickly became the industry standard for compressing and streaming massive raster and satellite images without losing spatial accuracy, enabling government agencies, defense, mapping companies, and enterprises to efficiently store, view, and distribute geospatial data. Over the years, LizardTech expanded its product line to include tools for raster imagery, LiDAR, and aerial photography, positioning itself as a leader in geospatial imaging software. Its innovations in progressive image decoding and wavelet-based compression have had a lasting influence on GIS workflows worldwide.

​

The company’s unusual name, “LizardTech,” was chosen deliberately to stand out in the technology industry and convey agility, adaptability, and resilience—traits often associated with lizards in nature. The founders wanted a name that would be memorable, playful, and approachable, in contrast to the overly corporate or rigid names of many software companies at the time. The lizard also symbolized the ability to thrive in complex environments, much like their software was designed to handle massive, complex datasets with efficiency. This distinctive branding helped LizardTech establish a unique identity in both the geospatial and broader software markets.

​

Another theory suggests a more literal connection: the early development of its wavelet-based compression technology took place at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, a region known for its abundance of lizards. This natural association may have inspired the name, grounding the company’s identity both in its scientific roots and the environment where the technology was first advanced.

LizardTech — Timeline of Key Milestones and Tech Breakthroughs

  • 1992 — LizardTech is founded, based on multiresolution image compression research developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The company’s mission is to commercialize the technology that would become the MrSID format.

  • February 20, 1998 — U.S. Patent 5,710,835 is issued, covering advanced methods for storing and retrieving large digital images using wavelet transforms and tiling. This provides the foundation for the commercial release of MrSID.

  • Late 1990s (1998–2000) — MrSID Generation 2 is released, bringing practical, high-compression storage and selective streaming of geospatial imagery to the GIS community.

  • 2004–2005 — In LizardTech v. Earth Resource Mapping, litigation narrows the scope of LizardTech’s image compression patents. This marks a pivotal legal moment in the evolution of the company’s intellectual property strategy.

  • 2009 — MrSID Generation 4 (MG4) is introduced, delivering improved image quality, multispectral support, and enhanced SDK capabilities for professional geospatial workflows.

  • 2015–2016 — GeoExpress is expanded to support LiDAR data, allowing users to compress and manage massive point-cloud datasets alongside raster imagery.

  • September 20, 2017 — U.S. Patent 9,753,124 is granted for LizardTech’s lossless LiDAR point-cloud compression, extending the company’s expertise into 3D data management.

  • April 2018 — GeoExpress 10 is launched at GEOINT, incorporating expanded LiDAR workflows and streamlined point-cloud processing.

  • October 2, 2018 — LizardTech formally merges with Extensis. Its flagship technologies—including MrSID, GeoExpress, and Express Server—are integrated into the Extensis product suite.

  • November 18, 2024 — Extensis, including the LizardTech technology portfolio, is acquired by Monotype. This acquisition extends the reach of MrSID and related solutions under a new corporate parent.

bottom of page