Geofencing Company Radar Raises $55 Million
Brings the company’s total funding to $85.5 million
New York-based geofencing startup Radar has raised $55 million in Series C funding with a $365 million valuation. The round, led by Insight Partners and other investors, brings the company’s total funding to $85.5 million.
Radar integrates location technology into the mobile apps of such companies as Panera, American Eagle Outfitters and T-Mobile. In addition, the company offers location services to startups Afterpay and Sleeper.
The worldwide pandemic made 2020 a rough year for Radar. “In 2020, we faced some serious headwinds. As a geofencing platform, we power use cases related to people moving around the world,” said Nick Patrick, co-founder and CEO, in a company blog. “And in early 2020, as COVID-19 and lockdowns spread, people stopped moving around the world. Our customers were hurting, and we were hurting, too.”
However, he said the company, founded in 2016 by several early former Foursquare employees, came out strong in 2021, with 10,000 developers signed up to build location-based products. In addition, Radar's enterprise customer base doubled, including customers in fleet tracking, delivery, gaming and healthcare.
The company said the new capital will be used to scale the company’s key verticals: retail, quick-service restaurants, logistics, travel, hospitality and entertainment.
"There's never been a better time and a bigger need to build location infrastructure,” Patrick said. “The pandemic accelerated adoption of location services in emerging use cases, like curbside pickup, delivery, and contactless check-in and payments, all of which require location awareness to succeed.”
Over the last year, Radar has introduced new product features to include Trips for curbside pickup and delivery tracking; Beacons for Bluetooth beacon detection; and a redesigned dashboard and developer documentation.
OneNav Announces Commercial Availability of PureL5 GNSS Digital IP Core
Palo Alto, Calif.-based oneNav has announced that its pureL5 GNSS digital IP core is now commercially available. The company says the pureL5 digital IP core’s architecture allows it to directly acquire and track L5 signals from GPS and other satellite navigation constellations.
The ability to directly acquire L5 signals eliminates the entire L1 RF chain, which makes integration into smartphones, wearables and trackers easier and more affordable, the company said.
The special sauce about the product is that it offers a smaller footprint than L1 and L5 hybrids receivers, which simplifying implementation in such space-constrained devices as 5G smartphones and wearables, said Bret Sewall, oneNav vice president, product management and business development.
“The industry already started to adopt L5. They are using a hybrid receiver approach, which is a half-step,” he said. “The main point about our solution is that getting L5 in a single frequency is a big benefit for the product designer. No one has built this kind of architecture.”
The product, which has been delivered to an unnamed customer, is being tested through the company’s Customer Evaluation System (CES) in California and China. OneNav says CES is available for smartphone and wearables OEMs and SOC providers.
As Location Business News reported last year, the company closed a $21 million Series B round, led by GV, with participation from Norwest Venture Partners and GSR Ventures. The company, which has 45 employees, including several industry veterans, also partnered with In-Q-Tel, a minority shareholder, to provide U.S. intelligence agencies with location technology.
Contact: Bret Sewell, oneNav, brets@onenav.ai, www.onenav.ai.
Geotab Provides Fleet Management for BAS
Geotab has announced it is providing a fleet management platform for British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which operates in the world’s polar regions. This month, Geotab is providing vehicle telematics data analysis for BAS’ fleet of Antarctic vehicles to include snowmobiles, snow groomers, and tractors, for their latest arduous research expedition to the Antarctic.
Geotab has modified its GO9 telematics plug-in device, which will be housed in a custom-built mounting box, to protect it from extreme temperatures and conditions. GO9, used in millions of vehicles, includes such real-time telematics functions as monitoring and diagnostics, operator management, fuel management, staff health and safety management, and dynamic vehicle scheduling.
Because the area BAS is operating is so remote, the MyGeotab fleet management software will be integrated with the BAS’s mapping system, so every vehicle journey can be tracked to pinpoint the estimated time of departure and arrival, real-time latitude and longitude coordinates, and stops made along the way, the company said.
A Geotab GO device has also been installed in the new polar research ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The software tracks and manages the British ship’s progress in its research expeditions.
Contact: Taylor Barker, Geotab, pr@geotab.com, www.geotab.com
Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
✔ Harman Acquires German Auto Tech Startup Apostera. “Established in 2017, the Munich-based Apostera supplies AR solutions for automotive head-up displays and navigation that help improve car functions and driver experience overall.”
🛰 Kleos Space Partners With Satellogic. “Kleos currently has eight satellites in orbit and a further eight launching H1 2022, which collect radio frequency transmissions over key areas of interest to produce its Guardian LOCATE data products. It can be used to validate or tip and cue existing datasets or establish a baseline pattern of behavior.”
😮 Velodyne Lidar Wins Patent Challenge Brought by Quanergy in Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. “U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Validity of Velodyne’s U.S. Patent 7,969,558.”
😧 Tesla Is Crazy To Not Make Full Use Of Maps To Improve ‘F’ Self-Driving. “The reality of mapping is not as you might imagine. A Tesla must build a map ‘on the fly,’ but that doesn't actually work yet. So a Tesla can't drive everywhere, it can drive everywhere badly.”
🛩 ESA Drone Carries Satellite Navigation Receivers To Collect Data. “With drones representing a rapidly-expanding satnav user base, this is a timely addition to the NavLab's suite of platforms for the testing of GNSS technologies and techniques—also including static, mobile and pedestrian platforms and a pair of test vans.”
🤷♂️ What's Driving China's Autonomous Vehicle Frenzy? “The industry saw a period of unprecedented acceleration in 2021, with over $8.5 billion invested in robotaxi startups, self-driving truck developers, lidar makers, smart electric car manufacturers, and chipmakers focused on vehicle automation, according to Crunchbase.”
✔ RTLS And Location-Based Services: Five Trends To Keep An Eye On In 2022.
😒 I Used Apple AirTags, Tiles and a GPS Tracker to Watch My Husband’s Every Move. “A vast location-tracking network is being built around us so we don’t lose our keys: One couple’s adventures in the consumer tech surveillance state.”
🚌 Intel's Mobileye Wants Autonomous Shuttles in the U.S. In 2024. “They will operate in ‘contained geo-fenced areas’ where speed limits are 35 mph or less.”
🙂 Qualcomm and Ferrari Announce Strategic Technology Collaboration. Ferrari will work with Qualcomm Technologies to [use] the Snapdragon Digital Chassis.
👍 Ibtechar Develops GNSS-based Device to Track Drones. “The new product has multiple features, including real-time tracking, pop-up notification, and SMS alerts; smart geo-fencing; drone whitelist/blacklist; compatibility with global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and BDS).”
😲 Why INRIX Now Uses “Crash” (Not “Accident”). “Language matters, and making meaningful change requires that we acknowledge our shared responsibility.”
🛰 The FGI-GSRX Software Defined GNSS Receiver Goes Open Source. “The FGI-GSRx software receiver is now being released as open source for the whole GNSS community to [use] it.”
Advertisement
Have you ever been reluctant to reveal your personal email address online or in person?
The answer is almost universally YES! So, if you happen to be one of those who thinks twice about these matters, ManyMe might be the answer to your worries.
Advertisement
Location Business News has gone from zero to nearly 24,000 subscribers in a little more than 12 months. If you would like to gain more exposure for your products, services, or webinars/events, contact us at info@driverlessreport.com. We also have nearly 30,000 LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media followers. Our recent email open rates have been some of the industry’s best at 55-80 percent.
Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Webfleet Partners With TomTom
Bridgestone’s Webfleet Solutions subsidiary has partnered with TomTom [TOM2] to launch the WEBFLEET Work App and TomTom GO Fleet App for the fleet market.
WEBFLEET Work App works with Android mobile devices to allow fleet managers and their drivers to locate vehicles, log working times, register drivers, set trip modes, manage orders and schedules. TomTom GO Fleet allows fleet to have up-to-date maps with traffic and navigation at their fingertips in a single location, the company said.
Webfleet Solutions was formerly known as TomTom Telematics until April 2019 when it was acquired by Bridgestone Europe, a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corp.
In other company news, Webfleet has partnered with last-mile delivery provider Scoobic Urban Mobility to offer an integrated solutions package for Scoobic customers. All new Scoobic vehicles will come equipped with factory-installed fleet management technology from Webfleet Solutions—and Bridgestone tires. Service is offered in Spain, France and Italy, with more rollouts expected in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.
Scoobic will leverage the Webfleet telematics data to provide advanced proactive maintenance services to its customers, which include Correos, Amazon, Carrefour and Heineken, the company said.
Contact: Ben Smallman, for Webfleet, 07833 463195, ben@bensmallmanpr.com.
Domino’s Pizza to Use what3words
Domino’s Pizza will use what3words’ address field at customer checkout using the company’s Global Online Ordering (GOLO) platform. What3words has divided the globe into 3-meter by 3-meter squares, identified each with a three-word address, to improve delivery accuracy.
The company’s platform was piloted in Domino’s franchises in the UK, North America and Saudi Arabia. “Wherever you live, hot pizza is so much better than cold pizza because the driver got lost finding your door,” said Chris Sheldrick, what3words, co-founder and CEO, in a statement.
Orolia Wins U.S. Air Force GNSS Simulator Contract
Orolia Defense & Security has won a U.S. Air Force Guided Weapons Evaluation Facility contract to deliver a BroadSim Wavefront GNSS simulator. The GWEF provides testing and simulation tools for developing precision-guided weapons, including GPS/INS systems.
The Broadsim Wavefront simulator will be integrated into a test environment for networked, collaborative and autonomous weapon systems, the company said.
Contact: Rachael Smith, Orolia Defense & Security, (614) 736-3736,
rachael.smith@oroliaDS.com, www.OroliaDS.com.
NextNav Partners With echo3D
NextNav [NN] has partnered with echo3D to provide the Pinnacle 3D location platform to echo3D developers. The echo3D platform, with 16,000 developers, will be able to create digital content using NextNav’s 3D location technology unlock realistic views, perspectives, and experiences, and even allowing users to purchase and collect items with location-based validation, the company said.
“Our partnership with echo3D enables developers to build immersive experiences, games, and applications that reflect our real world,” said Dan Hight, NextNav VP of Business Development and Partnerships, in a statement.
Contact: Mahmood Abu-Rubieh, for NextNav, NextNav@launchsquad.com.
Orbital Insight Signs Deal with DoD
Orbital Insight has announced a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to deliver a new technology platform for identifying intentional GNSS interference. The platform will leverage commercially available data to detect GNSS spoofing, where falsified or manipulated GNSS signals are used to confuse adversaries or obscure illicit activities, presenting risk to both government and commercial operations, the company said.
Contact: Orbital Insight, press@orbitalinsight.com, www.orbitalinsight.com.
MWC 2022 LBS & Telematics Mingle
The annual LBS & Telematics mingle at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona will be Feb. 28 at the Alexandre Hotel Fira Congress hotel bar. The free, informal networking event is for senior professionals across the Location-Based Services, IoT, Telematics & Smart Mobility industries. Sign up here.
Sheeva.AI Opens Two New Offices
Sheeva.AI has announced that it has opened two new offices in Northern Virginia and the Detroit metro area. These offices are in addition to Sheeva.AI's operations in New Delhi, India and Turin, Italy. Sheeva.AI will establish new its corporate headquarters in Fairfax County, Va.
Contact: Randy Brown, Sheeva.AI, (215) 500-2938, rbrown@sheeva.ai, www.sheeva.ai.
Teledyne Geospatial Wins 2021 MAPPS Project of the Year Grand Award
Teledyne Geospatial [TDY] company has announced that its Optech CZMIL SuperNova topo/bathy lidar system has been awarded both the Geospatial Excellence Award for Technology Innovation and the Geospatial Excellence - Project of the Year Grand Award.
The Optech CZMIL SuperNova features SmartSpacing technology for efficient point spacing and real-time processing capability in different water environments, the company said.
Contact: Jennifer Parham, Teledyne Geospatial, Jennifer.Parham@teledyne.com.
Phase One Partners With Globe Flight For Drone Sales
Phase One has named Globe Flight GmbH as its reseller of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solutions in Germany and Austria. Barbing, Germany-based Globe Flight plans to offer the Phase One P3 DJI M300 payload for inspection, surveying, and other geospatial applications.
The P3 DJI M300 flies on the DJI Matrice 300 drone with a user-selected option of either the Phase One iXM 100MP or 50MP camera mounted on a new gimbal with integrated laser rangefinder, the company said.
Contact: Ziva Razon, Phase One, Zra@phaseone.com, https://geospatial.phaseone.com.
ATRI Releases Annual Truck Bottlenecks List
Using truck GPS data, the American Transportation Research Institute has announced its annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America. The 2022 Top Truck Bottleneck List measures the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 300 locations on the national highway system. ATRI's truck GPS data is also used to support the U.S. DOT's Freight Mobility Initiative. For the fourth year in a row, the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey is once again the No. 1 freight bottleneck in the country.
For access to the full report, including detailed information on each of the 100 top congested locations, visit ATRI's website here.
Garmin Rolls Out Watch For Professional Truck Drivers
Garmin International [GRMN] has announced the Instinct 2 – dēzl Edition smartwatch for professional truck drivers seeking to maintain a healthy on-the-road lifestyle. The new smartwatch tracks heart rate, sleep, stress and more.
The watch features a rugged, scratch-resistant glass display, a sweat-proof silicone band and an extra-long battery life up to 28 days in smartwatch mode, the company said. The watch has a suggested retail price of $399.99.
Contact: Cesar Palacios, Garmin, (913) 397-8200, media.relations@garmin.com, garmin.com/dezl.
Toyota Spain has partnered with LoJack España, a subsidiary of CalAmp [CAMP], to offer stolen vehicle recovery services. The agreement allows Toyota customers access to stolen vehicle recovery services enabled by collaboration with local law enforcement.
Toyota dealers in Spain will market LoJack SVR services directly through Toyota Custom, the Toyota Original Accessories program. LoJack offers system tampering alerts designed to cope with the increasing use of GPS signal jammers, the company said.
Contact: LoJack España, www.lojackiberia.com.
GeoJunxion Signs Three Contracts
GeoJunxion [GOJXN.AS] has signed three contracts for its location intelligence service with “two large global tech companies.” The contracts, with a value of 100,000 euros, are proofs of concept focused on road safety and environmental sustainability, the company said. The company said a government agency, also unnamed, renewed a service agreement for 230,000 euros.
Contact: GeoJunxion, 31 (0)10 885 1200, info@geojunxion.com.
Bridger Says Oil and Gas Company Using Lidar
Bridger Photonics has announced that oil and natural gas company Devon Energy has committed to multiple scans of its asset portfolio in 2022. Gas Mapping LiDAR was selected after field trials, the company said.
Gas Mapping Lidar was developed by Bridger with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's advanced research arm, ARPA-E. The scans produce gas plume imagery, emission source locations with GPS coordinates, and emission rates that help companies streamline repair activities, the company said.
Contact: Tessa Wuertz, Bridger, (406) 585-2774, tessa.wuertz@bridgerphotonics.com, www.bridgerphotonics.com.
People
NavVis has named Tammy Aalto as Senior Channel Sales Manager, Europe. Aalto had executive positions with Topcon and Sokkia.
Nestwave has announced that Ciaran Connell will join the company’s board of directors in March. Connell co-founded and operated DecaWave, a micro-location specialist and pioneer of UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology.
RIEGL USA has announced that Michael Sitar is the new Managing Director of RIEGL Canada. Sitar is also acting as Airborne Division Manager for the North American territory.
Tim Richards is making the transition from COO to CEO at timing company Hoptroff. Richards joined the company four years ago.
Jobs
Director Business Development, Telco and Carrier Partnerships. NextNav.
Director of GNSS Product Management. oneNav.
Multiple Openings. SBD Automotive.
Field Sales Representative – Google Mobility Solutions. Woolpert.
Open Roles. Radar.
Septentrio Careers. Septentrio.
Sr Location Data Intelligence Analyst. HERE Technologies.
Growth Director. Ridecell.
Get your company’s products and services in the 2022 Location Industry Yearbook!