NextBillion.ai looks to dethrone Google Maps in the enterprise space

Super apps need high-quality maps.

If Grab’s maps were inaccurate, most of its services that are based on having precise location details would not work.

Smaller enterprises also need accurate maps in their consumer products. But unlike Grab, which has a dedicated team of map engineers, these companies lack such resources.

That’s why three ex-Grabbers – Gaurav Bubna, Ajay Bulusu, and Shaolin Zheng – co-founded AI mapping startup NextBillion.ai in early 2020.

The Singapore team of NextBillion.ai / Photo credit: NextBillion.ai

See also: Uncovering Southeast Asia’s hidden Grab and Gojek mafia 

The startup, which has teams in Beijing, Singapore, and India, wants to create mapping solutions for enterprises and organizations of all sizes. It’s particularly keen on solving challenges in emerging markets, where geospatial knowledge tends to be limited and inaccurate.

The Singapore-based startup has recently announced its over US$6.2 million fundraise from Microsoft VC arm M12. This comes after another US$7 million series A round last year, which it landed less than six months after launch. The round was co-led by US-based firms Lightspeed Venture Partners and Falcon Edge Capital.

Accurate maps are hard to come by

NextBillion co-founder Bulusu was part of Grab’s Geo team, which optimizes the tech giant’s in-app maps and location services. For over a year, he managed a department of more than 70 employees in nine countries.

While at Grab, Bulusu realized that accurate maps were difficult to come by in emerging markets such as Indonesia or India, and most businesses didn’t have the expertise and resources to customize them for their specific use cases.

NextBillion’s service is called NextbillionMaps, which manages and tracks large-scale geospatial data for its clients, then helps them use the information effectively.

Photo credit: NextBillion.ai

The startup also develops and provides access to application programming interfaces (APIs) such as geocoding, navigation, reverse geocoding, ETA routing, and more. These APIs enable orders to be delivered on time, help riders and couriers locate customers more easily, and intelligently assign the closest drivers to the right tasks.

An alternative to Google Maps

Its secret sauce

Solving challenges beyond mapping