Waymap – executive interview

In this interview, Tom Pey (Founder) and Celso Zuccollo (CEO) of Waymap, a privately held company, discuss their revolutionary indoor navigation platform. Originally developed with a $1m Google.org grant to assist visually impaired users, Waymap has evolved into a comprehensive platform operating across more than 11 cities and serving over 140 venues, including Washington Metro (over 100 stations and 11,000 bus stops), LA Metro and Lord’s Cricket Ground. Waymap’s proprietary Smart Step algorithm uses the four sensors built into smartphones to achieve up to one-meter accuracy and 10-degree heading accuracy without requiring external infrastructure or signals. The technology works seamlessly indoors, outdoors and deep underground.

Demand is being driven by the societal and regulatory movements to improve accessibility and fire safety, supported by strong business economics. For example, Washington Metro currently spends $120m annually on paratransit services, which consume 240k tons of CO2 emissions. However, many visually impaired people prefer to navigate independently with the help of an app, unlocking substantial cost and carbon emission savings.

The company is experiencing strong inbound demand from a global pipeline and is currently raising £2.5m in bridge funding ahead of Series A/B rounds to build commercial capabilities. As an engineering-heavy organisation that has focused on technology development over the first four to five years, Waymap is now building the commercial team needed to attack the substantial market opportunity management sees ahead.