MapAI secures funding to redefine geospatial analytics

MapAI, a pioneer in generative AI for geospatial data analytics, has announced the successful closure of a AUD $1.3 million funding round, backed by FrontierSI and UNSW Sydney. This milestone underscores Australia’s leadership in leveraging innovative research and technology to transform how geospatial data is understood and utilized. The investment will drive the commercial rollout of MapAI’s platform, offering enhanced solutions for businesses and greater public accessibility.

“With this new funding, we are thrilled to advance our platform to production, fully harnessing the power of generative AI and making location data analytics more intuitive and accessible than ever before,” said Phil Delaney, CEO of MapAI. “Our technology is set to redefine user interactions with data platforms, turning complex interfaces into simple conversations.”

MapAI remains committed to its vision of making geospatial data universally accessible and transparent. As part of this mission, the company plans to launch a publicly available site in early 2025, enabling users to explore Australian geospatial data.

Impactful real-world applications

Professor Stephen Rodda, pro vice-cancellor (Industry & Innovation) at UNSW Sydney, highlighted the significance of the university’s investment: “UNSW's investment in MapAI reflects our focus on investing in technology that bridges the gap between research and impactful real-world applications. Generative AI is transformative, and MapAI’s approach to geospatial analytics leverages this technology to tackle complex challenges and create accessible solutions. Supporting ventures like MapAI is crucial to delivering societal impact through research translation.”

Dr Graeme Kernich, CEO of FrontierSI, emphasized their ongoing support for MapAI: “Our continued support for MapAI aligns with FrontierSI's purpose to solve problems using our geospatial expertise. MapAI builds solutions that not only allow users to interact with their data and make better decisions, but also provide a broader set of users with information they simply haven’t had access to in the past.”

Research engine

In addition to accelerating platform development, the newly secured funds will support MapAI’s integration into the ambitious Urban Copilot initiative. This AUD $6.5 million, three-year collaboration involves partners such as Archistar, PEXA and UNSW, and aims to redefine urban planning with advanced AI solutions. As a core technology provider, MapAI is poised to play a critical role in the initiative’s success.

Professor Chris Pettit, director of the UNSW City Futures Research Centre, where the foundational technology behind MapAI originated, underscored the importance of this collaboration: “UNSW is proud to continue our role as the research engine behind MapAI. This funding not only fuels the next stage of development but also cements our commitment to translating our cutting-edge research into real-world products.”

With this funding round, MapAI is set to solidify its position as a transformative force in geospatial analytics, driving innovation.